The Renovator
@the-renovator.bsky.social
Our political institutions and civic culture in the U.S. need some serious work, if we're going to enjoy freedom in a constitutional democracy. The Renovator is a civic media platform for those ready to build, not tear down. therenovator.substack.com
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The Renovator
@the-renovator.bsky.social
· Aug 19
Introducing The Renovator, a new civic media platform! Led by Danielle Allen, author of "Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality," AAA&S report "Our Common Purpose:Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century," and "Justice By Means of Democracy"
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Four West Virginia lawmakers signed onto a national bipartisan letter opposing a policy under consideration by Congress that would allow the federal government to preempt state regulations on artificial intelligence.
via @westvirginiawatch.com
via @westvirginiawatch.com
WV lawmakers sign national letter opposing federal preemption over AI regulation
Four members of the West Virginia Legislature signed onto a national bipartisan letter this week opposing a policy under consideration by Congress that would allow the federal government to preempt…
www.newsfromthestates.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Four West Virginia lawmakers signed onto a national bipartisan letter opposing a policy under consideration by Congress that would allow the federal government to preempt state regulations on artificial intelligence.
via @westvirginiawatch.com
via @westvirginiawatch.com
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Across governors’ races, mayoral contests, and city councils, women won decisively in 2024. See why representation grows when election systems support equal opportunity.
Read more: https://loom.ly/OZO4Us4
#thefulcrum #citizenconnect
Read more: https://loom.ly/OZO4Us4
#thefulcrum #citizenconnect
November 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Across governors’ races, mayoral contests, and city councils, women won decisively in 2024. See why representation grows when election systems support equal opportunity.
Read more: https://loom.ly/OZO4Us4
#thefulcrum #citizenconnect
Read more: https://loom.ly/OZO4Us4
#thefulcrum #citizenconnect
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“Ranked choice voting helps a party unify around the most competitive candidate without fracturing the party. In crowded primaries, the incentive is to tear each other down. With #RankedChoiceVoting the incentive is flipped.”
– FairVote CEO Meredith Sumpter on RCV in presidential primaries ⬇️
– FairVote CEO Meredith Sumpter on RCV in presidential primaries ⬇️
Behind closed doors, Democrats eye ranked choice voting for primaries
Democratic politicians and activists are quietly lobbying for ranked choice voting, which would change the future of the party’s primaries.
www.washingtontimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:02 PM
“Ranked choice voting helps a party unify around the most competitive candidate without fracturing the party. In crowded primaries, the incentive is to tear each other down. With #RankedChoiceVoting the incentive is flipped.”
– FairVote CEO Meredith Sumpter on RCV in presidential primaries ⬇️
– FairVote CEO Meredith Sumpter on RCV in presidential primaries ⬇️
This week we're republishing Danielle's series about how American democracy right now is like a bear stuck in a trap, being attacked by wolves, with a wildfire looming on the horizon. Sounds bad, but there are ways to get out of it! A good thing to read over this holiday.
America is a Bear in a Trap
How to free America from the trap of an election system captured by party processes gone wrong.
therenovator.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:23 PM
This week we're republishing Danielle's series about how American democracy right now is like a bear stuck in a trap, being attacked by wolves, with a wildfire looming on the horizon. Sounds bad, but there are ways to get out of it! A good thing to read over this holiday.
Reposted by The Renovator
New members of Congress understand tech in ways their predecessors often don't, and now they’re driving new bills on online safety, privacy, AI, and more. But without a centralized tech committee, needed regulations can through the cracks. bit.ly/3K76Pjr
The Time Is Right for Congress to Take on Tech
History teaches that new blood, economic upheaval, and executive overreach are the recipe for overcoming congressional paralysis.
www.brennancenter.org
November 25, 2025 at 8:37 PM
New members of Congress understand tech in ways their predecessors often don't, and now they’re driving new bills on online safety, privacy, AI, and more. But without a centralized tech committee, needed regulations can through the cracks. bit.ly/3K76Pjr
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The group behind a proposed ballot initiative to end Idaho’s strict abortion ban says it’s well on its way to qualifying for the ballot.
via @idahocapitalsun.com
via @idahocapitalsun.com
Ballot initiative to end Idaho’s abortion ban has more than 50,000 signatures, group says
The group behind a proposed ballot initiative to end Idaho’s strict abortion ban says it’s well on its way to qualifying for the ballot. Idahoans United for Women and Families announced last week…
www.newsfromthestates.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:00 PM
The group behind a proposed ballot initiative to end Idaho’s strict abortion ban says it’s well on its way to qualifying for the ballot.
via @idahocapitalsun.com
via @idahocapitalsun.com
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This consent decree would put an end to the scheme by RealPage and large apartment landlords to employ an artificial intelligence algorithm to fix the price of apartment rentals across the country, driving up rents. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/t...
RealPage Agrees to Settle Federal Rent-Collusion Case
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:00 PM
This consent decree would put an end to the scheme by RealPage and large apartment landlords to employ an artificial intelligence algorithm to fix the price of apartment rentals across the country, driving up rents. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/t...
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AI literacy should be the *bare minimum* for all future members of Congress. Our generation is counting on it.
So I spoke with next-gen candidate @alexbores.nyc about becoming the first target of a push from an $100M AI super PAC. www.theupandup.us/p/its-the-fi...
So I spoke with next-gen candidate @alexbores.nyc about becoming the first target of a push from an $100M AI super PAC. www.theupandup.us/p/its-the-fi...
It’s the first AI election. But it won’t be the last.
Q&A with congressional candidate Alex Bores, the first target of an AI super PAC. “Let's have the debate. Let me know the time and the place,” he told The Up and Up.
www.theupandup.us
November 25, 2025 at 7:56 PM
AI literacy should be the *bare minimum* for all future members of Congress. Our generation is counting on it.
So I spoke with next-gen candidate @alexbores.nyc about becoming the first target of a push from an $100M AI super PAC. www.theupandup.us/p/its-the-fi...
So I spoke with next-gen candidate @alexbores.nyc about becoming the first target of a push from an $100M AI super PAC. www.theupandup.us/p/its-the-fi...
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Good breakdown from @kimwehle.bsky.social on what to do about the pardon power within the limits of its constitutional hard-coding. @theunpopulist.net
Congress Can Toughen Existing Laws to Expose Trump’s Pardon-for-Sale Racket
The Supreme Court’s immunity ruling gave presidents a free pass for corruption, but Congress can still demand transparency
www.theunpopulist.net
November 25, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Good breakdown from @kimwehle.bsky.social on what to do about the pardon power within the limits of its constitutional hard-coding. @theunpopulist.net
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“Because there are so few rules … around AI’s role in politics, there is no oversight of these activities, and no safeguards against the dramatic potential impacts for our democracy,” note Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders.
prospect.org/power/2025-1...
prospect.org/power/2025-1...
AI Is Changing How Politics Is Practiced in America
Here’s what to expect in the midterm elections.
prospect.org
October 15, 2025 at 6:39 PM
“Because there are so few rules … around AI’s role in politics, there is no oversight of these activities, and no safeguards against the dramatic potential impacts for our democracy,” note Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders.
prospect.org/power/2025-1...
prospect.org/power/2025-1...
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This week! On Thursday, Oct 23, join “Rewiring Democracy” authors Bruce Schneier & Nathan E. Sanders, and D&S's @alicetiara.bsky.social, to explore how AI is changing power & participation, and what we can do to shape that change for the better. Learn more and RSVP: datasociety.net/events/a-roa...
October 20, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This week! On Thursday, Oct 23, join “Rewiring Democracy” authors Bruce Schneier & Nathan E. Sanders, and D&S's @alicetiara.bsky.social, to explore how AI is changing power & participation, and what we can do to shape that change for the better. Learn more and RSVP: datasociety.net/events/a-roa...
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Four ways AI is being used to strengthen democracies worldwide | Nathan E Sanders and Bruce Schneier
Four ways AI is being used to strengthen democracies worldwide | Nathan E Sanders and Bruce Schneier
The dangers of artificial intelligence and its potential to consolidate power are clear. But used fairly, it can be a boon for good government
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Four ways AI is being used to strengthen democracies worldwide | Nathan E Sanders and Bruce Schneier
New Tech and Democracy news roundup! The big stories this week are about Meta, due to a few big court decisions. A federal judge rules that Meta is not a monopoly (mystifying some commentators), and a Reuters report shows that scammers aren't a bug on Meta's platforms - they're a lucrative feature.
Meta's Scam Monopoly, the AI Race, and 'Founder Mode'
Your Tech & Democracy news Roundup!
therenovator.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:01 PM
New Tech and Democracy news roundup! The big stories this week are about Meta, due to a few big court decisions. A federal judge rules that Meta is not a monopoly (mystifying some commentators), and a Reuters report shows that scammers aren't a bug on Meta's platforms - they're a lucrative feature.
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New from @slaughteram.bsky.social: academic degrees aren't the only way to judge people's qualifications for work. Today's world means appreciating people's skills and areas of knowledge, wherever they came from, whether that's in the civic arena or in their professional work.
What Rethinking Work and Renovating Democracy Have in Common
Broadening a skill or status beyond a degree or title conferred on the completion of a prescribed course of education in a recognized institution opens the door to building a new, more flexible, and m...
therenovator.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:40 PM
New from @slaughteram.bsky.social: academic degrees aren't the only way to judge people's qualifications for work. Today's world means appreciating people's skills and areas of knowledge, wherever they came from, whether that's in the civic arena or in their professional work.
New from @slaughteram.bsky.social: academic degrees aren't the only way to judge people's qualifications for work. Today's world means appreciating people's skills and areas of knowledge, wherever they came from, whether that's in the civic arena or in their professional work.
What Rethinking Work and Renovating Democracy Have in Common
Broadening a skill or status beyond a degree or title conferred on the completion of a prescribed course of education in a recognized institution opens the door to building a new, more flexible, and m...
therenovator.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:40 PM
New from @slaughteram.bsky.social: academic degrees aren't the only way to judge people's qualifications for work. Today's world means appreciating people's skills and areas of knowledge, wherever they came from, whether that's in the civic arena or in their professional work.
New from Danielle: we're coming up on Giving Tuesday, and of course we would be very grateful if you'd support The Renovator with a paid subscription or gifts to others, but it's worth thinking about moving money to democracy more generally too! #GivingTuesday
Democracy Philanthropy
Let's shift some of our investment to the long-term work of Democracy Renovation
therenovator.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:40 PM
New from Danielle: we're coming up on Giving Tuesday, and of course we would be very grateful if you'd support The Renovator with a paid subscription or gifts to others, but it's worth thinking about moving money to democracy more generally too! #GivingTuesday
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From our co-editor Beth’s first draft, I thought this was an incredibly powerful piece that everyone should read. I’ve never read anything like it, and I’m proud @the-renovator.bsky.social got to publish it.
Bad Politician: When Not Giving the Speech They Wanted Changed Everything
A new series for readers who want to survive politics, stay human in public life, and understand how quiet choices decide who stays, who walks away, and the leaders we all live with.
therenovator.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:34 PM
From our co-editor Beth’s first draft, I thought this was an incredibly powerful piece that everyone should read. I’ve never read anything like it, and I’m proud @the-renovator.bsky.social got to publish it.
With #RankedChoiceVoting, "candidates reach beyond their base. Voters consider a range of candidates. Communities see their voices reflected more fully. This is what stronger democracy looks like."
– @jkmassey.bsky.social of @fairvotemn.bsky.social on RCV in MN
– @jkmassey.bsky.social of @fairvotemn.bsky.social on RCV in MN
Opinion | Ranked-choice voting gave voters real power on Election Day
RCV didn’t cause any particular candidate to win or lose, Jeanne Massey writes. What it did do was ensure that the mayors elected in Minneapolis and St. Paul are the candidates who could build the…
www.startribune.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:33 PM
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Trump administration funding cuts to permanent housing programs mean CT could lose up to $69M and risk the housing of 6,500 people.
How cuts to federal housing program put CT residents at risk
Trump administration funding cuts to permanent housing programs mean CT could lose up to $69M and risk the housing of 6,500 people.
ctmirror.org
November 14, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Trump administration funding cuts to permanent housing programs mean CT could lose up to $69M and risk the housing of 6,500 people.
Reposted by The Renovator
Indiana mid-decade redistricting news.
November 14, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Indiana mid-decade redistricting news.
Why did Marc Andreesen post a meme in response to Pope Leo's tweet about AI? This and other (less bizarre) news explained, in this installment of our Tech & Democracy news roundup! #AI
The Pope vs. Marc Andreessen: The Future of Tech & Democracy
Morality, technology, and symbolic Twitter beef in your Tech & Democracy Roundup
therenovator.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Why did Marc Andreesen post a meme in response to Pope Leo's tweet about AI? This and other (less bizarre) news explained, in this installment of our Tech & Democracy news roundup! #AI
@karlaliliana.bsky.social for @npquarterly.bsky.social: Are we ready to share power? 7 levers of power, and how to give more people access to those levers:
nonprofitquarterly.org/are-we-ready...
nonprofitquarterly.org/are-we-ready...
Are We Ready to Share Power? | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
Across the nonprofit sector, there are seven key levers of power dor building healthy, democratic organizations.
nonprofitquarterly.org
November 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
@karlaliliana.bsky.social for @npquarterly.bsky.social: Are we ready to share power? 7 levers of power, and how to give more people access to those levers:
nonprofitquarterly.org/are-we-ready...
nonprofitquarterly.org/are-we-ready...
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In this premiere episode of Real Solutions podcast series, we hear from 10 advocates from organizations around the country fighting for a fair & just society. belonging.berkeley.edu/real-solutio... @obi-belonging.bsky.social @saratexas.bsky.social @saqibbhatti.bsky.social @acrecampaigns.bsky.social
Real Solutions
Welcome to Real Solutions, a special 8-episode podcast series from the Othering & Belonging Institute featuring people leading efforts across the country that show what bold policy solutions would mov...
belonging.berkeley.edu
October 29, 2025 at 4:09 PM
In this premiere episode of Real Solutions podcast series, we hear from 10 advocates from organizations around the country fighting for a fair & just society. belonging.berkeley.edu/real-solutio... @obi-belonging.bsky.social @saratexas.bsky.social @saqibbhatti.bsky.social @acrecampaigns.bsky.social
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No one wants to spend the holidays thinking about elections – but the Bay Area's largest county will hold a runoff on December 30.
With #RankedChoiceVoting, holiday runoffs could be a thing of the past. @calrcv.bsky.social
fairvote.org/the-2025-ele...
With #RankedChoiceVoting, holiday runoffs could be a thing of the past. @calrcv.bsky.social
fairvote.org/the-2025-ele...
The 2025 elections heading for delayed runoffs - FairVote
In several of this year's elections, voters will return to the polls for delayed runoffs because no candidate earned a majority of the vote.
fairvote.org
November 13, 2025 at 2:59 PM
No one wants to spend the holidays thinking about elections – but the Bay Area's largest county will hold a runoff on December 30.
With #RankedChoiceVoting, holiday runoffs could be a thing of the past. @calrcv.bsky.social
fairvote.org/the-2025-ele...
With #RankedChoiceVoting, holiday runoffs could be a thing of the past. @calrcv.bsky.social
fairvote.org/the-2025-ele...
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New post on @the-renovator.bsky.social! It was genuinely a pleasure to speak to Joe Bubman at Urban Rural Action. They are doing bridge-building and dialogue the right way - and I learned something new about how peace and democracy are sort of the same thing.
Freeing Ourselves From the Cycle of Rising Violence
Urban Rural Action’s Uniters come together to renovate democracy and make their communities more peaceful at the same time.
therenovator.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:10 PM
New post on @the-renovator.bsky.social! It was genuinely a pleasure to speak to Joe Bubman at Urban Rural Action. They are doing bridge-building and dialogue the right way - and I learned something new about how peace and democracy are sort of the same thing.