Examining the position of social capital in the laws of the first to sixth development plans of the Islamic Republic of Iran

A lot of evidence shows that social capital leads to the success of development plans. In this article, an attempt is made to examine the position of social capital in development plans and to make suggestions to improve this position in future development plan laws. The main question is, how was social capital addressed in the development plans? The thematic analysis method is used to investigate this issue. In the first three development plans, an economic approach was dominant, and there is not even a mention of social capital in these texts. From the fourth plan onwards, social capital entered the development plans. However, often, structural, cognitive, and relational components were not balanced, and usually, one aspect of social capital was highlighted. Therefore, it suggested that giving order and balance to the components of social capital in the laws of the future development plan should be considered by the policymakers. In this context, designing a policy package to promote social capital in which all components of social capital are seen together can be a way forward.