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
The procedure of our courts also shows signs of change in the direction
of the recognition of the group principle. Until recently we have had in
our courts two lawyers, each upholding his side: this means a real
struggle, there is no effort at unifying, one or the other must win; the
judge is a sort of umpire. But the Reconciliation Court of Cleveland
(and some other western cities) marks a long step in advance. This does
away with lawyers each arguing one side; the judge deals directly with
the disputants, trying to make them see that a harmonizing of their
differences is possible. In our municipal courts, to be sure, the
principal function of the judge has long been not to punish but to take
those measures which will place the individual again in his group, but
this applies only to criminal cases, whereas the Reconciliation Court of
Cleveland, following the practice of the conciliation courts of certain
continental countries,[39] deals with civil cases. The part of the judge
in our juvenile courts is too well known to need mention.
In a jury I suppose we have always had an example of the group idea in
practical life. Here there is no question of counting up similar
ideas—there must be one idea and the effort is to seek that.
In our legislatures and legislative committees we get little integrated
thought because of their party organization; even among members of the
same party on a committee there are many causes at work to prevent the
genuine interplay we should have. The governors’ commissions, on the
other hand, hear both sides, call in many experts and try to arrive at
some composite judgment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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