Danielle Allen Unveils Transformative Agenda To Strengthen Democracy, Build Foundation To Tackle Biggest Challenges Collectively

Danielle Allen Unveils Transformative Agenda To Strengthen Democracy, Build Foundation To Tackle Biggest Challenges Collectively 

Boston, MA — Today, gubernatorial candidate and democracy expert Danielle Allen unveiled her comprehensive agenda to strengthen our democracy — building a stronger foundation to tackle our biggest challenges collectively. The ambitious new agenda aims to push for full inclusion and participation for every eligible Massachusetts voter, rebuild our information ecosystem to check the corrosive effects of social media, cultivate shared civic purpose and collective ownership of our democracy, and rein in the influence of corporate money on politics. A summary is available here, and the full policy agenda is available here.

“What’s powerful about our democracy is that it’s ours — our tool for transformation, and our voice to claim, own, and use,” said gubernatorial candidate Danielle Allen. “Today, we’ve got serious problems to solve, but we’ve also got the opportunity to emerge stronger, more empowered, and more unified than ever. That starts with strengthening our democracy, so we can bring everyone to the table to build common purpose and tackle our biggest challenges — together.”

Danielle Allen is a lifelong democracy advocate and has published several books centered on democracy. As governor, Allen will:

• Enable and encourage the participation of every single eligible voter in Massachusetts — by expanding voting and registration options including Election Day registration, supporting innovation like ranked choice voting at the municipal level, and prioritizing language accessibility.

• Create checks on social media’s anti-democratic effects by rebuilding the information ecosystem for voters and local governments — including through the transformative step of committing the executive branch to adhere to the Public Records Act, as well as rebuilding local journalism, strengthening the school-to-voting-booth pipeline, and supporting local and regional decision-making with tools of good governance.

• Cultivate shared civic purpose through honestly acknowledging our history, building pride in our shared achievements, and promoting service. Allen will help finalize work being done to create a new state flag and center Indigenous communities’ leadership towards a better future, while building pride around the shining aspects of our shared history, like being the first state to abolish enslavement. She will also strengthen veterans’ voice in our government, establish a Youth Climate Corps and a universal expectation of service for all young people, expand the state’s civic infrastructure, and encourage civic dialogue.

• Rein in the influence of corporate money on politics, including by encouraging the state’s adoption of a 28th amendment — making Massachusetts the first state to undo the impact of Citizens United, and ensuring voters, not money, are the decision-makers in our Commonwealth.

“This agenda delivers a strategy to defeat creeping authoritarianism, alienation, and exhaustion by building a compelling people-powered alternative — a green and healthy next-generation democracy that genuinely works for everyone,” said gubernatorial candidate Danielle Allen. “If we want a democracy that can deliver on our most important needs, we need to work on the basic elements of representation — to make sure people are fully included, voters are participating and engaged, and governance is effective and just.”

Allen co-chaired the Our Common Purpose Commission which produced a bipartisan report that includes six strategies and 31 ambitious recommendations to help the nation emerge as a more resilient democracy by 2026. In addition, in response to nationwide challenges around the lack of civic education and Massachusetts’ recent mandate for comprehensive civic education in public schools, Allen built a civic education provider that developed DESE guidance and curriculum for school districts across the Commonwealth to give our children the foundation to be strong and active participants in our democratic systems. In the governor’s office, Allen will build off this track record, forging a stronger democracy as the basis for tackling our shared challenges together.