The decline thesis proponents in social capital literature have largely ignored the fastest growing venue for new social capital formation—the Internet. Without challenging the tenets of the theoretical paradigms in social capital or political participation literature, I argue that the Internet is making a larger impact in American social life than the current research acknowledges. Using recent survey data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, I employ interactive regression modeling and other statistical methods that support my conclusions. I confirm a strong positive correlation between online social networking and online political participation. I drill deeper by articulating and testing three mediating layers of inequalities along the typical socioeconomic status indicators that shape the association online social networking will have with online political participation. I close this thesis by hypothesizing about the extent to which online social networking will become a more potent social venue over time.