# Neighborhood Organization as the Political Unit in The New State

> Theme guide for The New State by Mary Parker Follett.

The book proposes that neighborhoods should be organized into regular, self-governing groups that become the recognized political unit, replacing party systems and enabling citizens to directly participate in and shape state and city governance.

## Where it surfaces

- [XVII: Democracy Not the Majority: Our Political Fallacy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xvii-democracy-not-the-majority-our-political-fallacy): The chapter proposes organizing men in small, local groups as the next form democracy must take, where individual wills can mingle to produce an all-will.
- [Part III: Group Organization Democracy’s Method](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/part-iii-group-organization-democracy-s-method): The chapter proposes neighborhood groups as the fundamental units of political organization, replacing mass rule with local self-governance.
- [I: The Neighborhood Group](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/i-the-neighborhood-group): The chapter centers on the neighborhood group as the foundational political unit for genuine democratic participation.
- [XXII: Neighborhood Needs the Basis of Politics](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxii-neighborhood-needs-the-basis-of-politics): The chapter centers on the neighborhood group as the most significant political unit, arguing that it can revolutionize politics by addressing real needs and coordinating other associations.
- [An Integrated Neighborhood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxiii-an-integrated-neighborhood): The chapter argues that neighborhood consciousness and regular meetings are foundational to democracy, proposing neighborhood organization as a new political method.
- [Neighborhood Organization vs. Party Organization I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxiv-neighborhood-organization-vs-party-organization-i): Neighborhood organization is presented as the fundamental unit for creating genuine public opinion and replacing party rule.
- [Neighborhood Organization vs. Party Organization II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxv-neighborhood-organization-vs-party-organization-ii): The chapter focuses on neighborhood groups as the means to produce real leaders and a genuine democratic will, contrasting with party organization.
- [XXVI: Neighborhood Organization vs. Party Organization III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxvi-neighborhood-organization-vs-party-organization-iii): The chapter argues that neighborhood groups must replace party organizations, making the neighborhood the fundamental unit of political life and self-government.
- [XXVII: From Neighborhood to Nation: The Unifying State](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxvii-from-neighborhood-to-nation-the-unifying-state): The chapter argues that neighborhood groups are the foundational units for building the city, state, and nation, and must be officially integrated into government.
- [XXVIII: Political Pluralism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxviii-political-pluralism): Reiterates the importance of neighborhood groups as the foundation for building a federal state through compounding.
- [XXXII: Political Pluralism (Concluded)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxxii-political-pluralism-concluded): Neighborhood education and organization are described as the pressing problem of 1918, essential for real democracy.
- [XXXIII: Increasing Recognition of the Occupational Group](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxxiii-increasing-recognition-of-the-occupational-group): Neighborhood groups are seen as essential for correcting partial views and coordinating diverse associations.
- [The Moral State and Creative Citizenship](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/xxxiv-the-moral-state-and-creative-citizenship): The chapter centers on neighborhood groups as the fundamental unit for training and practicing citizenship, providing a concrete objective for individual responsibility.
- [Appendix: The Training for the New Democracy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/chapters/appendix): The School Centre movement is described as a method for neighborhood-based democratic training and expression, linking local group activities to broader civic participation.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/themes/neighborhood_organization_and_local_democracy
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_new_state_se/themes