The Renovator | Danielle Allen | Substack

The Washington Elm

and The Elm Society

21 hrs ago

Are We Ready for a New Voting Rights Movement?

An Estimated 1 out of 4 American Voters Is Structurally Disenfranchised

May 14 • Danielle Allen

July 13 Tech and Democracy Roundup: What’s in an AI Audit?

Welcome back to your Tech and Democracy Roundup.

Jul 13 • Zachey Kliger

Why the United States Needs a Nationwide Journalist Shield Law

Trump Administration's Latest Subpoenas to Reporters Attack Press Freedom.

Jul 12 • Austin Sarat

Trump Fires the Referees, Primaries Become a Battleground, and Redistricting Simmers in Maryland and Utah - Democracy in the States Weekly…

It’s Friday, July 10, 2026, and time for your Democracy in the States’ Weekly Roundup.

Jul 11 • Beth Fukumoto

The Democracy Renovation Agenda

Why the United States Needs a Nationwide Journalist Shield Law

Trump Administration's Latest Subpoenas to Reporters Attack Press Freedom.

Jul 12 • Austin Sarat

The Golden Apple

Jul 4 • Danielle Allen

People Get Ready

There’s a pro-renovation majority within reach

Jul 1 • Bob Massie

Pushing Political Parties out of the Nest

Fly, Little Birdy, Fly!

Jul 1 • Danielle Allen

We’ve Solved Polarization!

It’s True — Read All About It

Jun 24 • Danielle Allen

Liberty and Abundance

Proposing a bipartisan alliance to break the Scarcity Cartel

Jun 22 • Aidan Fitzsimons

The Union of Power and Love

Harvard Prof. Rebecca Henderson’s keynote speech at the "After Neoliberalism: From Left to Right" conference

Jun 18

How Much Revolution Does a Guinea Buy?

And other lessons about saving democracy from the Radical Duke

Jun 17 • Danielle Allen

Democracy in the States

Trump Fires the Referees, Primaries Become a Battleground, and Redistricting Simmers in Maryland and Utah - Democracy in the States Weekly…

It’s Friday, July 10, 2026, and time for your Democracy in the States’ Weekly Roundup.

Jul 11 • Beth Fukumoto

A 30-Year Incumbent Falls, and the Court Has Its Last Word - Democracy in the States' Weekly Roundup

I’m writing from Hawaii, where it’s still Independence Eve, and not-too-late for another Democracy in the States’ Weekly Roundup before America’s 250th…

Jul 4 • Beth Fukumoto

State Democracy at a Crossroads: Key Election Battles, ICE Retreats, and What’s Next After the Primaries - Democracy in the States' Weekly…

Welcome to our first Wednesday edition of your Democracy in the States’ Roundup.

Jun 24 • Beth Fukumoto

Slow Counts and Loud Lies: California Becomes Ground Zero for 2026's Election Integrity Fight - Democracy in the States' Roundup

It’s Saturday, June 13, 2026, and time for your Democracy in the States: Weekly Roundup.

Jun 13 • Beth Fukumoto

Tech & Democracy

July 13 Tech and Democracy Roundup: What’s in an AI Audit?

Welcome back to your Tech and Democracy Roundup.

Jul 13 • Zachey Kliger

June 29 Tech and Democracy Roundup: The Congressional Standoff on Kids’ Online Safety

Why the House and Senate can’t agree.

Jun 29 • Zachey Kliger

I've Never Cared About Local Politics. Could AI Change That?

Citizen-built apps are using AI to make local government information more accessible than ever.

Jun 27 • Zachey Kliger

Liberty and Abundance

Proposing a bipartisan alliance to break the Scarcity Cartel

Jun 22 • Aidan Fitzsimons

Democracy 101

What Is Civic Education For?

Teaching students how to think, not what to think.

Jul 9 • Scott Warren

Civic Education News Roundup: Reflecting on the American Experiment.

We made it to the 250th!

Jul 6 • Joanna Kenty

Beyond the Bubble: What America at 250 Asks of Young People

Take the Civic Profile in observance of America’s 250th birthday and our “Great American Experiment”. We all owe it to each other – and to those who…

Jul 2

Civic Education News Roundup: Young Leaders' Letters to America and lots more.

We’re off to a great start with our new Democracy 201 feed! Zachary Cote of Thinking Nation outlined a new minimum standard for history education, and…

Jun 22 • Joanna Kenty

Renovator Features

The IRS Slush Fund Is a Test. Too Many Republicans Are Failing It.

The coming reckoning that Congress needs to think about.

Jun 2 • Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno

Harvard and the Nation

Sequoia seeds worth the will to believe

May 30 • Aidan Fitzsimons

Soft Bodies, Hard Cars

On hitchhiking, democracy, driving, and cuddle puddles

Mar 13 • Aidan Fitzsimons

Ordinary People Just Helped Save Millions of Lives.

Congress Showed Some Spine. It Happened Because Citizens Took Action.

Feb 26 • Sam Daley-Harris

Recent posts

What Is Civic Education For?

Teaching students how to think, not what to think.

Jul 9 • Scott Warren

Liberalism for the 21st Century

"LibCon" is bringing together widely divergent liberals determined to defeat authoritarianism

Jul 7 • Danielle Allen

Civic Education News Roundup: Reflecting on the American Experiment.

We made it to the 250th!

Jul 6 • Joanna Kenty

The Golden Apple

Jul 4 • Danielle Allen

A 30-Year Incumbent Falls, and the Court Has Its Last Word - Democracy in the States' Weekly Roundup

I’m writing from Hawaii, where it’s still Independence Eve, and not-too-late for another Democracy in the States’ Weekly Roundup before America’s 250th…

Jul 4 • Beth Fukumoto

Beyond the Bubble: What America at 250 Asks of Young People

Take the Civic Profile in observance of America’s 250th birthday and our “Great American Experiment”. We all owe it to each other – and to those who…

Jul 2

The Renovator

The Renovator

The Renovator is a Substack for everyone who wants to help renovate our democracy.

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Zachey Kliger

July 13 Tech and Democracy Roundup: What’s in an AI Audit?

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Trump Fires the Referees, Primaries Become a Battleground, and Redistricting Simmers in Maryland and Utah - Democracy in the States Weekly…

Danielle Allen

Liberalism for the 21st Century

Joanna Kenty

Civic Education News Roundup: Reflecting on the American Experiment.

Aidan Fitzsimons

Liberty and Abundance

Malcolm Salter

The case for sacrifice in business and democracy

Anne-Marie Slaughter

War Crimes Don’t Win Wars

Michael Larabee

Democracy and the Media: Make the Vessel Visible

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