Social capital mainly refers to the trust

norm and network existing in people’s relationship structure. Consultative governance stresses on cooperative actions based on mutual trust

which is the essence of national governance. The connotation of social capital is closely related to the intent of consultative governance

that is

both the conceiving of social capital and the operation of consultative governance adopt the public sphere as a platform

both involve the relationship between people

both aim at solving the dilemma of collective action and realizing the public interests of a certain community. Social capital has a comparatively strong explanatory power to the problems faced by consultative governance

so social capital has become a new dimension to the study of public affairs in consultative governance. On the one hand

social capital provides social resources and foundation for consultative governance

in that social trust is the psychological foundation of consultative governance

that reciprocal norms are an important pillar of consultative governance

and that citizen participation network is the engine for consultative governance. On the other hand

consultative governance contributes to the cultivation of social capital

in that it can provide an important guarantee for social trust

promote the formation of social norms and broaden the channels of citizen participation network. Therefore

there is inherent logic for social capital and consultative governance to integrate and interact.