The State, Strategy, and Power

What is the state, what does it do, and how does anything change? This theme covers theories of the state, debates over strategy (electoral, insurrectionary, dual power, base-building), what political power is and how movements have tried to take or transform it. It holds the disagreements among traditions open rather than resolving them.

How to use this theme

This folder organizes resources by lens. See the Pedagogy document for what the lenses do and why they are structured this way.

• Experiential: What is your experience with this? What does the room already know?
• Historical: How did this come to be?
• Theoretical: How do we understand and analyze it?
• Practical: What is happening on the ground and what are people doing about it?
• Liberatory: What would it mean to overcome or transform this?

A session does not need to use all five lenses. A study circle may move across them. Use what serves the room.

Anchor questions

This section will hold a curated set of questions that have proven useful for opening up this theme. Contributions welcome.

Recommended sequences

This section will offer suggested arcs for groups new to this theme. A six-week study circle, a single-session entry point, a weekend intensive. To be developed.

Related themes

Cross-references to other themes that connect closely with this one.

Status

This theme is in early development. Resources are being added as the project grows. If you have run a session on this theme, consider contributing back what you used and what you learned.