“Won’t you be my neighbor?” is a famous song from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, a popular children’s television show. The show, broadcast for 31 years ending in 2001, sought to teach American children the importance of kindness and understanding towards others. The idea was that strong communities need strong relationships between the people in them. But fewer and fewer Americans seem to know their neighbors and that may be eroding America’s communities. Marc Dunkelman wrote a book called “The Vanishing Neighbor.” In it, he examined how American communities have changed over time. Dunkelman said most Americans have three levels of relationships: The inner circle includes family and close friends. The middle circle is more casual relationships. People in this circle include neighbors and people in community groups. The outer circle includes people who live far away but share a common interest. Today, people in outer circles are easily found through social media and other forms of technology. In his book, Dunkelman argued that people spend most of their time and attention on the inner and outer circles. But, he said the middle-circle is necessary to strengthening local communities. Relationships with neighbors are important for debate, hearing different ideas and finding compromise.