Feature
The Past, Present, and Future of Democracy—A Summer Reading List from the Allen Lab
As we celebrate America’s 250th, the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation is reflecting on how we arrived at this moment and where we are headed.
Video
Making Democracy Interesting: Tips from TV, Podcasts, Science Fiction, and Online Creators
The Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation’s Making Democracy Interesting webinar brought together scholars, writers, and creators to explore how storytelling can make democratic life feel more accessible, human, and compelling.
Programs
Making Democracy Interesting brought together scholars, writers, and creators to explore how storytelling can make democratic life feel more accessible, human, and compelling. The panel was moderated by James Bryant Conant University Professor Danielle Allen and WIRED’s former editor-in-chief Gideon Lichfield, an Allen Lab Fellow, and featured:
- Kim Stanley Robinson, author of The Ministry for the Future and other science fiction novels
- Renee DiResta, associate research professor at Georgetown University and author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turns Lies Into Reality
- Matt Fitzgerald, founder of Fitz Partners and #TeamWater, the biggest creator-led philanthropy campaign of all time
- Baratunde Thurston is a multiplatform storyteller whose works include the book How To Be Black, the podcast How To Citizen, and the TV series America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston
Their discussion examined why traditional political language often fails to connect, especially with younger generations, and how parasocial relationships, narrative experimentation, and participatory media can enliven civic engagement. From real-world experiments in collective problem-solving to creator-led movements that mobilize millions, the discussion offered concrete examples of how democracy is lived and shared experiences and not just an abstract ideal. Watch the recording to hear how storytelling might help democracy find its audience again.
Related Resources
Commentary
Allen Lab Fellow Spotlight: City Charters Are Deliberative Democracy’s Friends
Allen Lab Fellow Tyler Fisher examines the untapped potential of city charters as a vehicle for deliberative democracy, arguing that advocates should work to embed tools like citizen assemblies, participatory budgeting, and town meetings directly into the governing architecture of cities, institutionalizing deliberative democracy one municipality at a time.
Q+A
Danielle Allen’s “Radical Duke” Reveals an Unsung Catalyst of History
Allen uncovers the deep — then volatile — friendship between a British duke and Thomas Paine.