‘Our political life is stagnating, capital and labor are virtually at war, the nations of Europe are at one another’s throats—because we have not yet learned how to live together. The twentieth century must find a new principle of association.’
Due to rising social tensions of the time, the early 20th century was an era of turmoil and uncertainty. Follett believed that representative democracy was an inadequate form of government for dealing with the political and social dilemmas of the time. In The New State, Follett proposed an organic form of democratic government through spontaneous group organization along neighbourhood lines instead of relying on the mechanical rules, forms, and institutions of representative democracy. She believed that this approach to governance will allow individuals to be better represented in government and therefore reduce the social tensions of the time.
Mary Parker Follett was an American management consultant and social worker. She was a pioneer in the field of organizational behaviour.