The new state : $b Group organization the solution of popular governmentFollett, Mary Parker
Science
The new state : $b Group organization the solution of popular government
Follett, Mary Parker
Democracy; Political participation; Social psychology; State, The
We have an interesting instance in the United States of political
organization on occupational lines from which we may learn much—I refer
to the Nonpartisan league of North Dakota composed of farmers which,
inaugurated in 1915, in 1916–7 carried the state elections of North
Dakota, electing a farmer-governor, and putting their candidates in
three of the supreme court judgeships, and gaining 105 out of the 138
seats in the state legislature. The first object of the league was the
redress of economic injustice suffered by the farmer. They saw that this
must be done through concerted control of the political machinery. Of
the legislation they wished, they secured: (1) a new office of State
Inspector of Grains, Weights and Measures, (2) partial exemption of farm
improvements from taxation, (3) a new coöperative corporation law, and
(4) a law to prevent railroads from discriminating, in supplying
freight-cars, against elevators owned by farmers’ coöperative societies.
In 1917 a Farmers’ Nonpartisan League of the state of New York was
organized. In September, 1917, the North Dakota League became the
“National Nonpartisan League,” the organization spreading to several of
the neighboring states: Minnesota, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, etc. At
the North Dakota state primaries held in the summer of 1918, nearly all
the League’s candidates were nominated, thus insuring the continuance of
its control of the state government.
In Denmark we are told the battle rages between the agrarian party and
the labor party. More and more the struggle in Parliamentary countries
is becoming a struggle between interests rather than between parties
based on abstract principles. This must be fully taken into account in
the new state.
The hoped-for relation of industry to the state might be summed up thus:
we want a state which shall include industry without on the one hand
abdicating to industry, or on the other controlling industry
bureaucratically. The present plans for guild socialism or syndicate
control, while they point to a possible future development, and while
they may be a step on the way, as a scheme of political organization
have many weak points. Such experiments as the Industrial Councils of
England are interesting, but until further technique is worked out we
shall find that individual selfishness merely gives way to group
selfishness. From such experiments we shall learn much, but the new ship
of state cannot ride on such turbulent waters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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