Danielle Allen
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dsallentess.bsky.social
Danielle Allen
@dsallentess.bsky.social
22 followers 12 following 12 posts
Scholar focused on democracy renovation + democracy advocate. Harvard. Partners In Democracy. Coalition for Healthy Democracy. FairVote. Author of Our Declaration, Justice by Means of Democracy, Radical Duke. Write at https://therenovator.substack.com/
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dsallentess.bsky.social
With all due respect, I’ve got to say that an all-party primary will make the votes of communities of color matter and broaden and diversify the electorate that decides our elections. That’s why I’m working on it. And our grassroots politics beats money. See Boston mayors race.
I am profoundly grateful to my friends on the progressive left for their dedicated advocacy for policies that will make a difference for working people like rent stabilization, good jobs, and criminal justice reform. I have to respectfully disagree, though, with their analysis of the likely effects of ending separate party primaries for state and federal office in Massachusetts and using a single all-party primary instead, with the top two finishers going on to the general election. Massachusetts is not California. Our campaign finance rules are completely different and far more limiting and our population is much smaller. This fundamentally changes how money operates in our political system. Our politics will remain anchored in the grass-roots. I have to concede that campaigning to the whole electorate instead of to party insiders is a bigger job and harder work, but I'm going to plant my flag for all those who want to put democracy first. Democracy takes work. It takes the work of answering to the whole electorate. Answering to the whole electorate is what will give us an open, fair, and accountable political system. I have confidence that the goals my progressive friends are pursuing, like rent stabilization, good jobs, and criminal justice reform, are broadly appealing to the people of Massachusetts and across the vast number of districts in Massachusetts and that their candidates will continue to do well under an all-party primary system. I am also confident that their agenda will get a fuller public airing under an all-party primary system. So with a lot of love and respect, I have to dissent. I am planting my flag for the Democracy First movement and invite anyone who wants to join me in doing that to sign up at coalitionforhealthydemocracy.org. Love, Danielle
November 4, 2025 at 1:34 AM
dsallentess.bsky.social
I am profoundly grateful to my friends on the progressive left for their dedicated advocacy for policies that will make a difference for working people. But I must respectfully dissent with Jonathan's view below. ... I'm going to plant my flag for all those who want to put democracy first.
I am profoundly grateful to my friends on the progressive left for their dedicated advocacy for policies that will make a difference for working people like rent stabilization, good jobs, and criminal justice reform. I have to respectfully disagree, though, with their analysis of the likely effects of ending separate party primaries for state and federal office in Massachusetts and using a single all-party primary instead, with the top two finishers going on to the general election. Massachusetts is not California. Our campaign finance rules are completely different and far more limiting and our population is much smaller. This fundamentally changes how money operates in our political system. Our politics will remain anchored in the grass-roots. I have to concede that campaigning to the whole electorate instead of to party insiders is a bigger job and harder work, but I'm going to plant my flag for all those who want to put democracy first. Democracy takes work. It takes the work of answering to the whole electorate. Answering to the whole electorate is what will give us an open, fair, and accountable political system. No election system is perfect and the vote-splitting risk is real but a rare event where this system operates. I have confidence that the goals my progressive friends are pursuing, like rent stabilization, good jobs, and criminal justice reform, are broadly appealing to the people of Massachusetts and across the vast number of districts in Massachusetts and that their candidates will continue to do well under an all-party primary system. I am also confident that their agenda will get a fuller public airing under an all-party primary system. So with a lot of love and respect, I have to dissent. I am planting my flag for the Democracy First movement and invite anyone who wants to join me in doing that to sign up at coalitionforhealthydemocracy.org. Love, Danielle
October 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
dsallentess.bsky.social
I am profoundly grateful to my friends on the progressive left for their dedicated advocacy for policies that will make a difference for working people. But I must respectfully dissent with Jonathan's view below. ... I'm going to plant my flag for all those who want to put democracy first.
I am profoundly grateful to my friends on the progressive left for their dedicated advocacy for policies that will make a difference for working people like rent stabilization, good jobs, and criminal justice reform. I have to respectfully disagree, though, with their analysis of the likely effects of ending separate party primaries for state and federal office in Massachusetts and using a single all-party primary instead, with the top two finishers going on to the general election. Massachusetts is not California. Our campaign finance rules are completely different and far more limiting and our population is much smaller. This fundamentally changes how money operates in our political system. Our politics will remain anchored in the grass-roots. I have to concede that campaigning to the whole electorate instead of to party insiders is a bigger job and harder work, but I'm going to plant my flag for all those who want to put democracy first. Democracy takes work. It takes the work of answering to the whole electorate. Answering to the whole electorate is what will give us an open, fair, and accountable political system. I have confidence that the goals my progressive friends are pursuing, like rent stabilization, good jobs, and criminal justice reform, are broadly appealing to the people of Massachusetts and across the vast number of districts in Massachusetts and that their candidates will continue to do well under an all-party primary system. I am also confident that their agenda will get a fuller public airing under an all-party primary system. So with a lot of love and respect, I have to dissent. I am planting my flag for the Democracy First movement and invite anyone who wants to join me in doing that to sign up at coalitionforhealthydemocracy.org. Love, Danielle
October 23, 2025 at 2:57 PM