Following my fun+indulgent post about how power flows from form, and the more strategic+applied post laying out a design framework for wielding that power, I asked AI to generate a expansive list of all the ways humans organize power, money, and each other.
It’s meant to map the full possibility space of organizational forms you could build, and—hopefully—loosen the grip of the defaults. (And help demonstrate the argument that power flows from form.)
But it’s also geekily fun to explore.
INDEX OF ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS
Electoral & Formal Political Vehicles
- Political party
- Electoral coalition
- Parliamentary caucus
- Campaign committee
- Political action committee (PAC)
- Super PAC / independent expenditure committee
- Ballot initiative committee
State‑Controlled / State‑Adjacent Power Forms
- Parastatal organization
- Quasi‑governmental body
Parallel / Substitute / Counter‑Sovereign Power Forms
- Shadow government
- Government‑in‑exile
- Shadow institution
- Parallel institution
- Counter‑institution
Corporate & Capital Aggregation Forms
- Corporation
- Public company
- Private company
- Holding company
- Conglomerate
- Joint venture
- Consortium
- Cartel
Industry Coordination & Employer Power
- Trade association
- Business league
- Industry alliance
- Employer association
- Standards‑setting body
Labor & Worker Organization
- Labor union
- Union local
- Union federation
- Works council
- Guild
- Professional association
Associational Forms (Low‑Specificity / Residual)
- Membership organization
- Dues‑based association
Participation & Discipline Structures
- Mass‑membership organization
- Cadre organization
- Vanguard organization
Government‑Influence & State‑Facing Structures
- Advocacy nonprofit
- Issue advocacy committee
- Litigation organization
- Civil liberties organization
- Public‑interest law firm
- Rights‑based organization
Frontline Service & Social Provision Organizations
- Charitable nonprofit
- Social welfare organization
- Mutual aid network
- Solidarity economy collective
Knowledge, Ideology, & Legitimacy Engines
- Think tank
- Policy institute
- Research institute
- Ideological institute
- Academic center
Philanthropic Capital & Resource Pools
- Philanthropic foundation
- Family foundation
- Community foundation
- Pooled fund
- Donor‑advised fund ecosystem
Investment & Financial Power Networks
- Investor club
- Angel syndicate
- Venture fund
- Private equity fund
- Hedge fund
- Endowment
- Sovereign wealth fund
Product‑Led Authority & Consumer Power
- Product‑led membership organization
- Subscription authority model
- Consumer watchdog
- Rating body
- Certification body
- Standards & testing organization
Movements, Coalitions, & Collective Action
- Social movement
- Social movement organization
- Networked movement
- Coalition
- Front group
Distributed & Federated Structures
- Chapter‑based organization
- Affiliate network
- Franchise model organization
- Hub‑and‑spoke network
Elite Formation & Reproduction Pipelines
- Elite school
- Cadre school
- Political academy
- Training institute
- Leadership pipeline program
Credentialing, Selection, & Grooming Programs
- Fellowship program
- Scholarship cohort
- Residency program
- Incubator
- Accelerator
Labor Market & Career Pipelines
- Internship pipeline
- Apprenticeship system
- Clerkship network
Alumni, Legacy, & Insider Networks
- Alumni network
- Old‑boys network
- Industry mafia
Social, Cultural, & Leisure Clubs
- Social club
- Country club
- Athletic club
- Cultural society
Small‑Group Intellectual & Social Forms
- Dinner club
- Salon
- Study group
- Reading group
Secret, Fraternal, & Esoteric Orders
- Secret society
- Fraternal order
- Lodge system
Informal Influence & Backchannel Systems
- Whisper network
- Backchannel network
- Informal advisory circle
Elite Convenings & Closed Forums
- Elite retreat
- Closed‑door summit
- Offsite convening
- Invitation‑only conference
Command, Coordination, & Control Bodies
- Coordinating committee
- Steering committee
- Central committee
Cell‑Based & High‑Commitment Units
- Cadre cell
- Affinity group
- Action pod
Rapid Mobilization & Swarm Forms
- Flash mob
- Swarm
- Pop‑up mobilization
Platform‑Mediated & Digital Collectives
- Online platform community
- Forum‑based movement
- Influencer collective
Narrative, Media, & Sense‑Making Machines
- Media ecosystem
- Narrative coordination network
- Message discipline group
Religious & Moral Authority Structures
- Church
- Denomination
- Religious order
- Faith‑based network
Underground, Illicit, & Extra‑Legal Forms
- Underground organization
- Resistance cell
- Insurgent network
Geoffrey MacDougall 