Danielle Allen Calls Out Massachusetts For Its Political Participation Trophy Festival

About this episode

In this week’s episode, Jennifer and Danielle Allen dive into the workings of Massachusetts’ primary system, discussing why it is seen as broken and proposing fairer, more democratic solutions. They take a nonpartisan lens to explore the controversial ballot question about opening up the primaries to all voters, which could enfranchise the state’s 64% of unenrolled voters. The conversation highlights topics such as uncontested legislative races, forced choice between party ballots, party control over candidate selection, lack of transparency, and low competition. Both stress the historic legacy of self-government and citizen-driven reform, challenging the entrenched power…