TED Talks
David Rothkopf: How fear drives American politics
Does it seem like Washington has no new ideas? Instead of looking to build the future, it sometimes feels like the US political establishment happily retreats into fear and willful ignorance. Journalist David Rothkopf lays out a few of...
TED Talks
Emma Belcher: 3 questions we should ask about nuclear weapons
There are more than 10,000 nuclear weapons in existence today, each one capable of causing immense destruction. Why don't we talk about this threat as much as some other major issues? In this practical talk, nuclear security expert Emma...
TED Talks
Farida Nabourema: Is your country at risk of becoming a dictatorship? Here's how to know
Farida Nabourema has dedicated her life to fighting the military regime in Togo, Africa's oldest autocracy. She's learned two truths along the way: no country is destined to be oppressed -- and no country is immune to dictatorship. But...
TED Talks
TED: A conservative's plea: Let's work together | Arthur Brooks
Conservatives and liberals both believe that they alone are motivated by love while their opponents are motivated by hate. How can we solve problems with so much polarization? In this talk, social scientist Arthur Brooks shares ideas for...
TED Talks
TED: It's time for women to run for office | Halla Tomasdottir
With warmth and wit, Halla Tomasdottir shares how she overcame media bias, changed the tone of the political debate and surprised her entire nation when she ran for president of Iceland -- inspiring the next generation of leaders along...
TED Talks
TED: A global culture to fight extremism | Maajid Nawaz
Why do transnational extremist organizations succeed where democratic movements have a harder time taking hold? Maajid Nawaz, a former Islamist extremist, asks for new grassroots stories and global social activism to spread democracy in...
TED Talks
TED: Who would the rest of the world vote for in your country's election? | Simon Anholt
Wish you could vote in another country's election? Simon Anholt unveils the Global Vote, an online platform that lets anybody, anywhere in the world, "vote" in the election of any country on earth (with surprising results).
TED Talks
TED: Art that lets you talk back to NSA spies | Mathias Jud
In 2013, the world learned that the NSA and its uK equivalent, GCHQ, routinely spied on the German government. Amid the outrage, artists Mathias Jud and Christoph Wachter thought: Well, if they're listening ... let's talk to them. With...
TED Talks
TED: This is what democracy looks like | Anthony D. Romero
In a quest to make sense of the political environment in the united States in 2017, lawyer and ACLu executive director Anthony D. Romero turned to a surprising place -- a 14th-century fresco by Italian Renaissance master Ambrogio...
Crash Course
Islam and Politics: Crash Course World History 216
In which John Green teaches you about how Islam has interacted with politics during it's history, and how it continues to do so today. Islamist movements are in the news a lot lately, but how did that happen. John will point out that...
TED Talks
Hajer Sharief: How to use family dinner to teach politics
Everyone should participate in decision-making and politics -- and it starts at home, says activist Hajer Sharief. She introduces a simple yet transformative idea: that parents can teach their children about political agency by giving...
TED Talks
TED: The unexpected challenges of a country's first election | Philippa Neave
How do you teach an entire country how to vote when no one has done it before? It's a huge challenge facing fledgling democracies around the world -- and one of the biggest problems turns out to be a lack of shared language. After all,...
TED Talks
César Hidalgo: A bold idea to replace politicians
César Hidalgo has a radical suggestion for fixing our broken political system: automate it! In this provocative talk, he outlines a bold idea to bypass politicians by empowering citizens to create personalized AI representatives that...
TED Talks
TED: What Wikipedia teaches us about balancing truth and beliefs | Katherine Maher
Even with public trust at an all-time low, Wikipedia continues to maintain people's confidence. How do they do it? Former CEO of Wikimedia Foundation Katherine Maher delves into the transparent, adaptable and community-building ways the...
TED Talks
Dalia Mogahed: The attitudes that sparked Arab Spring
Pollster Dalia Mogahed shares surprising data on Egyptian people's attitudes and hopes before the Arab Spring -- with a special focus on the role of women in sparking change.
TED Talks
An election system that puts voters (not politicians) first | Amber McReynolds
From hours-long lines and limited polling locations to confusing and discriminatory registration policies, why is it so hard to vote in the US? Voting rights expert Amber McReynolds offers a proven alternative: a new process, already...
TED Talks
Tiana Epps-Johnson: What's needed to bring the US voting system into the 21st century
The American election system is complicated, to say the least -- but voting is one of the most tangible ways that each of us can shape our communities. How can we make the system more modern, inclusive and secure? Civic engagement...
TED Talks
TED: A Republican mayor's plan to replace partisanship with policy | G.T. Bynum
Conventional wisdom says that to win an election, you need to play to your constituencies' basest, most divisive instincts. But as a candidate for mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, G.T. Bynum decided to skip the smear campaigns, tell voters what...
TED Talks
David Bismark: E-voting without fraud
David Bismark demos a new system for voting that contains a simple, verifiable way to prevent fraud and miscounting -- while keeping each person's vote secret.
TED Talks
TED: Why ordinary people need to understand power | Eric Liu
Far too many Americans are illiterate in power — what it is, how it operates and why some people have it. As a result, those few who do understand power wield disproportionate influence over everyone else. "We need to make civics sexy...
TED-Ed
Can you solve the fantasy election riddle? | Dennis E. Shasha
After much debate, the realm has decided dragon jousting may not be the best way to choose its leaders, and has begun transitioning to democracy. Your company was hired to survey the citizens of the land and predict which candidate will...
TED Talks
Omar Ahmad: Political change with pen and paper
Want your local politician to pay attention to an issue you care about? Send a monthly handwritten letter, says former mayor Omar Ahmad -- it's more effective than email, phone, or even writing a check. He shares four steps to writing a...
TED Talks
TED: A letter to all who have lost in this era | Anand Giridharadas
Summer, 2016: amid populist revolts, clashing resentments and fear, writer Anand Giridharadas doesn't give a talk but reads a letter. It's from those who have won in this era of change, to those who have, or feel, lost. It confesses to...
TED Talks
Wanjira Mathai: 3 ways to uproot a culture of corruption
Corruption is a constant threat in Kenya, says social entrepreneur Wanjira Mathai -- and to stop it there (or anywhere else), we need to intervene early. Following the legacy of her mother, political activist and Nobel Prize recipient...