1) how does dahl describe mary's characteristics? what textual evidence does the
author use to describe mary and her house in order to achieve this effect? !

By this statement, Robert Putnam meant that the informal social ties promote more efficient bureaucracy than the formal sectors.

Explanation:

In this analogy given by Robert Putnam, he represented the informal social ties with the choral societies and the formal social tie with the health sector.

There is always delay in  processes and activities due to an inefficient bureaucracy in these formal settings. The informal social ties handle bureaucracy  more efficiently than the formal setting