TED Talks
Why you should be able to vote on your phone | Bradley Tusk
New ReviewThe US political system is broken — and the solution might be in the palm of your hands, says political strategist Bradley Tusk. Drawing on his deep experience with government and technology, he makes the case for allowing Americans to...
Be Smart
The Paradox of Voting
New ReviewPolitical scientist Don Green joins Joe to figure out the complex psychological and social factors that motivate us to vote - or not to. They discuss how and why this decision making process may be in conflict with certain scientific...
SciShow
Is the President’s Name Enough to Get Your Vote?
New ReviewWhether someone's running for President or to be on their school board, there's a lot that a politician has to do to try to sway voters. But did you know that what name they use is on that list? Research shows that whether you choose...
PBS
Voting Systems and the Condorcet Paradox
What is the best voting system? Voting seems relatively straightforward, yet four of the most widely used voting systems can produce four completely different winners.
TED Talks
TED: The case for a new Great Migration in the US | Charles M. Blow
Social progress in the United States often seems to take two steps forward and one step back, with hard-fought civil rights wins countered by a seemingly inevitable backlash. In this spirited talk, writer Charles M. Blow makes the case...
PBS
A brief but spectacular take on giving incarcerated youth a voice
Photographer Richard Ross has documented the U.S. juvenile justice system for the better part of a decade, producing the books “Juvie Talk” and “Girls in Justice” based on his experiences with incarcerated youth. He believes the kids he...
SciShow
6 Animals with Oddly Human Behavior
According to research, some animals act in ways that seem oddly similar to the things we do.
SciShow
Ballot Design Has a Sneaky Influence on Your Vote
In elections, your vote may be influenced by design of the ballot itself, especially when you don’t have strong feelings about which candidate to elect.
PBS
How Estonia built a digital first government
From filing taxes to accessing medical records to voting, 99 percent of all government services in Estonia are available online. Accessed at the state portal using an ID card and a pin code, the former Soviet nation is the first in the...
PBS
In Florida, Path To Restoring Felons’ Voting Rights Has Been Fraught With Challenge
Until 2018, Florida was one of only a few states that banned felons from voting for life. But that year, a two-thirds majority of the state passed an initiative to restore voting eligibility to felons who had served their sentences. It...
PBS
Despite Virus Fears, Arizona’s Changing Demographic Prepares To Go To The Polls
Across the country, election officials are scrambling to decide how to
adjust to the coronavirus pandemic. Louisiana and Georgia have postponed their primary contests, and candidates have eliminated public rallies entirely. But in...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Which voting system is the best?
Imagine we want to build a new space port at one of four recently settled Martian bases, and are holding a vote to choose its location. Of the 100 colonists on Mars, 42 live on West Base, 26 on North Base, 15 on South Base, and 17 on...
SciShow
The New Era of Negative Campaigns
Negative campaigns—or campaigns that work by painting opposing candidates in a negative light—have been used for decades. But today, thanks to information that can be gained from social media, these campaigns may be even more effective...
TED Talks
TED: There's no such thing as not voting | eric Liu
Many people like to talk about how important voting is, how it's your civic duty and responsibility as an adult. eric Liu agrees with all that, but he also thinks it's time to bring joy back to the ballot box. The former political...
SciShow
Ballot Design Has a Sneaky Influence on Your Vote
In elections, your vote may be influenced by design of the ballot itself, especially when you don’t have strong feelings about which candidate to elect.
TED Talks
Alexis Ohanian: How to make a splash in social media
In a funny, rapid-fire 4 minutes, Alexis Ohanian of Reddit tells the real-life fable of one humpback whale's rise to web stardom. The lesson of Mister Splashy Pants is a shoo-in classic for meme-makers and marketers in the Facebook age.
Crash Course
Congressional Decisions: Crash Course Government and Politics
This week Craig breaks out the crystal ball to try and figure out why our congresspeople do the things that they do. We’ll talk about the three motivating factors of congressional decisions - constituency, interest groups, and political...
SciShow
What Honeybees Can Teach Us About Democracy
Hank fills us in on the democratic ways of the honeybee and makes a request for more interpretive dance in our own political systems.
TED Talks
TED: The surprising spread of Idol TV | Cynthia Schneider
Cynthia Schneider looks at two international "American Idol"-style shows -- one in Afghanistan, and one in the United Arab Emirates -- and shows the surprising effect that these reality-TV competitions are creating in their societies.
Curated Video
Voting Systems and the Condorcet Paradox
What is the best voting system? Voting seems relatively straightforward, yet four of the most widely used voting systems can produce four completely different winners.
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...
Crash Course
Election Basics: Crash Course Government and Politics
This week Craig is going to give you a broad overview of elections in the United States. So as you may have noticed, there are kind of a lot of people in the U.S, and holding individual issues up to a public vote doesn't seem...
TED Talks
TED: An election redesign to restore trust in US democracy | Tiana Epps-Johnson
Election infrastructure in the United States is crumbling, says technologist Tiana Epps-Johnson, and, even worse, election officials are increasingly being attacked simply for doing their jobs. How can the country rebuild trust in its...