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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 10h

Hamilton knew formal war declarations wouldn't be the real check on executive power. He counted on elections and state rivalry instead. Those mechanisms are triggering right now. Exactly as designed. Beautiful to see. www.democracyrenovator.com/p/can-the-fe...

democracyrenovator.com

Can the Federalist Papers shed useful light on our present predicament?

Yes—and in some surprising ways

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Check out this from The Renovator: www.democracyrenovator.com/p/smithsonia... A third of Americans can't name the three branches of government. District leaders want civics taught — until it touches national politics. And Lonnie Bunch is leaving the Smithsonian. Big week in civic ed.

democracyrenovator.com

Smithsonian Leader Departs, and Constitution Day Marks Progress as well as Challenges.

Your Civic Education News Roundup for September 28.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Check out this from The Renovator: www.democracyrenovator.com/p/missouris-... Missouri's map changed 5 times in 3 weeks. SCOTUS killed the gerrymander — but the same day greenlit SAVE checks on voter rolls. Ballots are out. Texas has 178K backlogged registrations. A lot is moving.

democracyrenovator.com

Missouri’s “undead” map is buried as SAVE checks are resurrected

It’s Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and it’s time for your Democracy in the States’ Weekly Roundup where we’re looking at two U.S.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

ICYMI: AI models are escaping test environments, Congress doesn't know what regulation looks like, and Bernie Sanders & Steve Bannon just shared a stage. Kate Gage's Political AI Field Guide maps who actually holds power over AI's future. Worth your time: www.democracyrenovator.com/p/mapping-ai...

democracyrenovator.com

Mapping AI’s Political Factions: A Conversation with Kate Gage.

Plus, the Allen Lab’s new initiative for better government, and the tech and democracy headlines you don’t want to miss.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🦋 BLUESKY POST Check out this from Executive Functions: www.execfunctions.org/p/the-challe... Legal commentary that predicts democracy's certain collapse may do as much damage as the threats it describes. Bob Bauer makes the case for clear-eyed analysis over alarmism — with midterms weeks away.

execfunctions.org

The Challenges for Legal Commentary in the Last Weeks Before Election Day

On one side of the challenge is informing the public; on the other is avoiding undue and damaging alarmism.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Check out this from The Renovator: www.democracyrenovator.com/p/from-roadm... UVA's Karsh Institute ran a fellowship teaching K–12 educators to *practice* democracy before teaching it — sitting in circles, listening across differences, building civic skills. The curriculum is now going nationwide.

democracyrenovator.com

From Roadmap to Classroom

A University of Virginia fellowship is helping area K–12 teachers turn the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap into an inquiry-based curriculum that can be shared nationwide.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The White House launched a game where you chase & deport brown-skinned people. The goal, per the admin: "a culture of fun and winning." The real goal: normalize dehumanization. Democracy needs better institutions, yes, — but it also needs a better culture. www.democracyrenovator.com/cp/217443473

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I carried this message to Brewster's first Democracy Festival: fighting corruption & expanding voter choice are the same fight for me. That's why I support American Promise's push to end Citizens United & back Question 3 for All-Party Primaries in MA. www.youtube.com/live/uUajTx8...

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Mayor Brenna Lungo-Koehn of Medford endorses Question 3 👏 #massachusetts #yeson3 #medford

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Agawam City Council President Anthony Russo Arlington School Committee Member Paul Schlichtman Cambridge City Councilor Patty Nolan

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

West Springfield City Council President Mike LaFlamme Former Lexington Public School Committee Vice Chair and Town Meeting Member Deepika Sawhney Marblehead Select Board Vice Chair Moses Grader Worcester City Councilor Robert Bilotta Former Worcester City Councilor Jenny Pacillo

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Here are the municipal officials supporting Question 3: #mapoli

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🚨 The #NAACP New England Area Conference Endorses Question 3! Read more: commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/all-... #massachusetts #mapoli

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

(1/6) Through all of the victories and losses of last night's Massachusetts Primaries, one thing remains true: there are not enough competitive elections in this state. Reflections from the primary elections: a thread #mapoli

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The Renovator @democracyrenovator.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

New from @dsallentess.bsky.social: Linda McMahon and the Dept of Ed called for higher ed to take action on 7 issues. Who should host the seven conversations American higher education owes the American people — and why answering the call is the opposite of capitulation.

democracyrenovator.com

National Summits on the Future of Higher Ed: An Earnest Proposal

Who should host the seven conversations American higher education owes the American people — and why answering the call is the opposite of capitulation

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Arlene Kirsch ❌👑 Love America peacefully @arliek.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#mapoli 📣 Bay Staters, please SHARE

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Arlene Kirsch ❌👑 Love America peacefully @arliek.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

💙 📢 Bay Staters! #mapoli Please stand up for more democracy. Yes on 3! Don't think this is right for us? Consider that the state's Republican Party machine is against this ballot question....

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Question 3 would address more than just how we vote in elections, it would create a ripple effect bringing civic engagement and justice to all communities. Thank you to Jerren Chang and Dr. Craig Andrade for sharing your thoughts here. baystatebanner.com/2026/09/17/m...

baystatebanner.com

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This is amazing. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/t...

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FairVote @fairvote.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Not since the Civil Rights Movement have so many Americans been determined to fix our broken politics. While Congress remains gridlocked, cities & states are meeting the moment w/ ranked choice voting. FairVote's Meredith Sumpter in @dsallentess.bsky.social's @democracyrenovator.bsky.social ⬇

democracyrenovator.com

Why Ranked Choice Voting Meets the Moment in Cities and States

Lessons from the Midterms and Beyond.

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

👏 @dsallentess.bsky.social & @nooneaskedbutstack.bsky.social "Right now, our votes get taken for granted. In order to make sure politicians listen to voters, you've got to make sure they've got competition" nooneaskedbutpolitics.substack.com/p/no-one-ask...

nooneaskedbutpolitics.substack.com

No One Asked, But… Politics LIVE: Massachusetts All Party Primary Leader Danielle Allen

A recording from No One Asked But.....Politics's live video

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Democracy Journal @democracyjournal.org · 08/09/2026

In “Educating for Democracy: The Case for a New Civics,” Danielle S. Allen (@dsallentess.bsky.social) and Carah Ong Whaley (@carahongwhaley.bsky.social) explain why “excellent civic education” is necessary to restore faith in our democracy.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Check out this from The Renovator: www.democracyrenovator.com/p/use-big-te... Meta's settlement billions shouldn't just fund therapy apps. Two Princeton researchers argue the real harm was to our collective attention — and the fix must be civic infrastructure, not individual band-aids.

democracyrenovator.com

Use Big Tech Settlements for Civic Renewal

The harms have been social, the remedies should be too

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

1/Started class today. Morning: ancient political thought. Afternoon: Federalist Papers. Here's Hamilton, Fed 1: "Among the most formidable of the obstacles which the new Constitution will have to encounter may readily be distinguished by the obvious interest of a certain class of men in every State

guides.loc.gov

Research Guides: Federalist Papers: Primary Documents in American History: Full Text of The Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pen name "Publius." This guide compiles Library of Congress digital materials,…

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Exactly. You're making exactly my point

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Arlene Kirsch ❌👑 Love America peacefully @arliek.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

SHARE SHARE SHARE BallotReady helps new voters and established voters: *** Check status, update your information. ✅ *** Sign up for voting reminders, deadlines, and alerts📝 Make a plan to vote. 👇 shorturl.at/bQCls

shorturl.at

BallotReady

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

@globeopinion.bsky.social sees it, and we know the voters do too. Why should the election with the lowest turnout (10-20% of the electorate) be the decisive election? #mapoli www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/01/o...

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Here's a great piece by Joey McFadden from Persuasion: www.persuasion.community/p/liberalism... Liberalism began as *liberalitas*—a Roman habit of generosity & reciprocity. It was social glue, not a set of rights. Somewhere along the way, we forgot. This piece makes the case for getting it back.

persuasion.community

Liberalism is a Habit Not a Principle

A 2,000-year old tradition is rooted in a communal ethos.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

1/ Summer's over! Always sad to feel it go. Didn't manage to swing any great vacations this year, but at least I managed to read three books that weren't work-related, all of which I can recommend. (1) Virginia Giuffre's, Nobody's Girl My God! We must change the world.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

1/ You can love RCV & support All-Party Primaries. They're not rivals — they can fit together like hand & glove. Like in Alaska & Seattle. Like in the push by RCVBoston. No one votes to rank choices when there aren't any choices to begin with. MA's competitiveness problem has to be tackled directly.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Check out this from The Renovator: www.democracyrenovator.com/p/reform-rev... Reform vs. revolution is the left's oldest fight — and maybe its most self-defeating. Aidan Fitzsimons proposes a third path: Renovation. Revolution by means of reform. Practical steps, revolutionary ideals.

democracyrenovator.com

Reform, Revolution, and Renovation

Renovation is revolutionary reform

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

1/ People have been asking me why I launched a ballot initiative for an all-party primary in MA. I've been working on this for five years. Here's the story: www.yeson3ma.org

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Check out this from The Renovator: www.democracyrenovator.com/p/august-24-... Researchers got every major AI platform to generate election disinformation — just by rephrasing the prompt. 55% of tested prompts returned a factual error or broken citation. Ten weeks to the midterms.

democracyrenovator.com

August 24 Tech and Democracy Roundup: A Conversation with the Architect of California’s AI Transparency Law

A new Brennan Center report finds AI chatbots push back on election lies, though often with broken sources and shaky guardrails.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

"THE TSF IDEA: Electricity prices will keep climbing unless the grid gets more capacity – and building new transmission and generation takes years. States can act now: grid-enhancing technologies can unlock 20–30% more capacity" statesforum.substack.com/p/states-can...

statesforum.substack.com

States Can Get More Out of the Grid They Already Have

Building new power lines is a requirement, but it can take a decade. Squeezing more capacity out of the lines we've already paid for could help in the interim – if states make it happen.

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Happy Renoversary! Hard to believe the Renovator is already one year old. Thanks to everyone who has engaged! In the year ahead, we plan to double down on the work of spreading the story of all the good ways people are reclaiming agency for themselves! www.democracyrenovator.com/p/happy-reno...

democracyrenovator.com

Happy Renoversary

The Renovator’s first birthday!

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Great piece by Nathan Sanders (@datasociety.bsky.social): Rewiring Democracy: Citizen Science Leads to Civic AI in Scotland www.democracyrenovator.com/p/rewiring-d...

democracyrenovator.com

Rewiring Democracy: Citizen Science Leads to Civic AI in Scotland

“Rewiring Democracy” returns!

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Join me for the next Headstrong Club. I'll be talking with Ruth Ben-Ghiat Weds Aug 26 at 12:15pm ET. Mark your calendar! With the new school year, we'll be talking about what approach to civic education best fends off authoritarianism. Stream: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

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Danielle Allen @dsallentess.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

States Rein In License-Plate Surveillance, the DNC Backs Down on Ranked Choice, and Primary Problems Pile Up Check out this from The Renovator by Beth Fukumoto: www.democracyrenovator.com/p/states-rei...

democracyrenovator.com

States Rein In License-Plate Surveillance, the DNC Backs Down on Ranked Choice, and Primary Problems Pile Up

It’s Saturday, August 22, and time for your Democracy in the States’ Weekly Roundup.

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Embrace Boston @embraceboston.org · 19/08/2026

"A democracy that has to answer to all of its people, not just the ones already inside the tent, is the strongest one we can build." Danielle Allen, Ph.D., explains how bringing all-party primaries to Massachusetts (by voting Yes on Ballot Question 3) makes every voter's voice heard.

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Arlene Kirsch ❌👑 Love America peacefully @arliek.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

📣Bay Staters! #mapoli There is a fake news campaign against ballot question 3, All Party Primary, a PRO DEMOCRACY election law. Want the truth? It's here: coalitionforhealthydemocracy.org

coalitionforhealthydemocracy.org

MA All-Party Primary Reform | Coalition for Healthy Democracy

Fighting to make Massachusetts elections more open and fair through a 2026 ballot question will give every voter a real voice.

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Vote YES on 3! All-Party Primaries @yeson3ma.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Massachusetts: are you ready for some real electoral reform? Vote YES on 1, 3, and 4 this November 3rd. Make a plan to vote: www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/el...

sec.state.ma.us

Elections Division

1 Ashburton Place Room 1705 Boston, MA 02108

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Liberalism.org @liberalism.org · 30/07/2026

"The goal is government for the people. You only have that when you have government by the people." — @dsallentess.bsky.social Listen to the full episode: hubs.la/Q04rnPzH0

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