Democracy Starts Locally

“What does a healthy, resilient democracy look like, and how do we build one?” That question framed a recent virtual forum hosted by the NAACP Berkshire County Branch, Indivisible Pittsfield, Berkshire Democratic Brigades, and Greylock Together. For communities like Williamstown, the conversation carried particular relevance. While much of the meeting focused on national democratic reform, the discussion repeatedly returned to the importance of local participation and civic connection.

The event featured guest speaker Danielle Allen presenting “What Comes After No Kings? Five Things We Can Do for Democracy,” a discussion focused on the bold policy innovations needed to reimagine how democracy functions and who it truly serves. Allen is the founder of several civic organizations, including the Civics and History Inquiry Partnership, Educating for American Democracy, and Partners In Democracy. She is the author of Our Declaration and Justice by Means of Democracy, as well as a former columnist for the Washington Post who now writes for The Renovator. Allen also serves as convening chair for the Coalition for Healthy Democracy, a ballot committee working to place initiatives for an all-party primary and greater public records transparency on the November 2026 Massachusetts ballot.

Throughout the conversation, Allen argued that many problems in U.S. democracy stem from the fact that the House of Representatives stopped growing with the population about a century ago. She said expanding Congress could make representation more proportional, reduce the influence of the Electoral College imbalance, lower campaign costs, and help eliminate gerrymandering through proportional representation systems.

She described proportional representation as a system where elected officials more accurately reflect the range of political opinions among voters. Allen pointed to the proposed Fair Representation Act, introduced by Rep. Don Beyer and Rep. Jamie Raskin, which would combine multi-member districts with ranked-choice voting to create proportional representation and reduce gerrymandering. Proportional representation for Congress can be achieved through a more possible legislative action (a federal statute) rather than an ambitious constitutional amendment needed to remove the Electoral College (a very popular talking point) requiring two-thirds support in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Allen also discussed a few Massachusetts democracy-related ballot initiatives (see all of the initiative petitions filed with the AG's Office here):

• Legislative stipends
• Election Day voter registration
• Public Records Act reform
• All-party primaries

She emphasized that these specific initiatives are aimed at making voters feel less ignored and increasing participation and accountability. She noted that the NAACP supported the all-party primary initiative because it would make every voter more politically relevant.

During the discussion, Allen was asked how these statewide initiatives could connect to local civic engagement in small towns like Williamstown. Allen praised our work with Civics Corner and described local civic education and digital civic infrastructure as essential modern forms of democratic participation. She encouraged grassroots education efforts and connected them to broader democratic reforms.

The conversation also explored:

• distrust in political parties and institutions
• the rise of independent and unenrolled voters
• the possibility of multi-party systems
• fusion voting and endorsements
• civic participation as an imperfect but necessary process
• the importance of local engagement and concrete opportunities for people to experience political agency

In response to another attendee’s question about how to engage people who have lost faith in political parties and the democratic process, the conversation shifted toward the deeper challenges of civic disillusionment and political alienation. Participants discussed the growing number of voters who feel disconnected from traditional institutions and skeptical that government can meaningfully respond to ordinary people’s needs.

Allen acknowledged that distrust in political systems is widespread, noting that a majority of Massachusetts voters are now unenrolled in any political party. She argued that reforms like all-party primaries, proportional representation, and expanded civic participation are intended to create a system where more people feel heard and politically relevant.

The importance of “meeting people where they’re at” and recognizing that democracy is inherently imperfect was emphasised. While frustration and disillusionment are understandable and something that I often feel myself, disengaging entirely only cedes power to others. Drawing on both history and present-day politics, it can be shown that meaningful change has always required participation within flawed systems, and that opting out altogether as a position of privilege. Instead, we all need to encourage people to stay involved, organize locally, and “fight with what we’ve got.”

Allen built on the point by stressing the importance of giving people concrete opportunities to experience political agency firsthand. In her work with civic education, she said people are far more likely to remain engaged when they can directly see their involvement lead to tangible change, particularly at the local level. The discussion repeatedly returned to the idea that democracy is not a finished system, but an ongoing project that requires experimentation, participation, and collective effort to evolve.

Projects like our Civics Corner aim to help residents better understand town government, budgets, elections, and the decisions that directly shape life in a small community. In a time when many people feel disconnected from larger political systems, local civic engagement offers something tangible — the chance to ask questions, participate, hold leaders accountable, and see how collective action can shape a community. The meeting reinforced the idea that strengthening democracy begins not only in Washington, but in places like Williamstown. For example,there is an effort underway by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts to pass bill, H.2274 to allow towns that use open (not representative) town meeting to adopt a hybrid system that would permit residents to fully participate on a remote basis.

All of these issues feel especially urgent right now with growing concerns over voting rights and representation, particularly following recent Supreme Court rulings that weakened protections against partisan gerrymandering and undermined meaningful representation for minority voters. For many, those decisions feel like a setback to rights won through generations of organizing and sacrifice.

But the conversation also emphasized that the response cannot be disengagement. The right to vote and participate still matters, and using that voice remains essential. That spirit connects directly to this summer’s “Good Trouble Lives On Weekend of Action,” honoring the legacy of John Lewis through voter engagement, civic education, and organizing under the theme “Teach! Reach! Preach!” — a reminder that democracy survives only when people continue showing up for it.

So we recommend you familiarize yourself with the Massachusetts democracy-related ballot initiatives and continue to remain engaged locally.