Sayu Bhojwani recruits and supports first and second generation Americans to run for public office.

Back in 2009, Paul Romer unveiled the idea for a "charter city" -- a new kind of city with rules that favor democracy and trade. This year, at TED2011, he tells the story of how such a city might just happen in Honduras ... with a little help from his TEDTalk.

The most notable talks of 2019, chosen by TED Curator Chris Anderson.

Yanis Varoufakis thinks we need a radically new way of thinking about the economy, finance and capitalism.

"From populist demagogues, we will learn the indispensability of democracy," says novelist Elif Shafak. "From isolationists, we will learn the need for global solidarity. And from tribalists, we will learn the beauty of cosmopolitanism." A native of Turkey, Shafak has experienced firsthand the devastation that a loss of diversity can bring -- an...

Our leaders need to be held accountable, says journalist Heather Brooke. And she should know: Brooke uncovered the British Parliamentary financial expenses that led to a major political scandal in 2009. She urges us to ask our leaders questions through platforms like Freedom of Information requests -- and to finally get some answers.

Every day, we move and operate within systems of power that other people have constructed. But we're often uncomfortable talking about power. Why? Eric Liu describes the six sources of power and explains how understanding them is key to being an effective citizen.

In 2018, media professor David Carroll filed a legal claim against infamous data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. He wanted his data -- which the firm misappropriated, along with that of millions of other internet users. In this fascinating talk, he shares the story of his crusade, demonstrating the now-undeniable link between data rights and...

As web companies strive to tailor their services (including news and search results) to our personal tastes, there's a dangerous unintended consequence: We get trapped in a "filter bubble" and don't get exposed to information that could challenge or broaden our worldview. Eli Pariser argues powerfully that this will ultimately prove to be bad fo...

Ever have the sneaking suspicion your vote doesn't really matter? Software engineer Brian Olson has designed a powerful algorithm that transforms gerrymandered districts into vibrant, perfectly impartial state maps so that every vote counts.

In Libya, Zahra' Langhi was part of the "days of rage" movement that helped topple the dictator Gaddafi. But -- then what? In their first elections, Libyans tried an innovative slate of candidates, the "zipper ballot," that ensured equal representation from men and women of both sides. Yet the same gridlocked politics of dominance and exclusion ...

Journalist Mustafa Akyol talks about the way that some local cultural practices (such as the seclusion of women) have become linked, in the popular mind, to the articles of faith of Islam. Has the world's general idea of the Islamic faith focused too much on tradition, and not enough on core beliefs?

We are so preoccupied with happiness that the Declaration of Independence guarantees our right to pursue it. But are we doing it right? Historian Caroline Winterer argues that what the founding fathers meant was public happiness, the need for citizens to work collectively toward a robust democracy. "Only public happiness," she explains, "creates...

We all know that when we make decisions in groups, they don't always go right -- and sometimes they go very wrong. How can groups make good decisions? With his colleague Dan Ariely, neuroscientist Mariano Sigman has been inquiring into how we interact to reach decisions by performing experiments with live crowds around the world. In this fun, fa...

Seven years ago, Internet activist Aaron Swartz convinced Lawrence Lessig to take up the fight for political reform. A year after Swartz's tragic death, Lessig continues his campaign to free US politics from the stranglehold of corruption. In this fiery, deeply personal talk, he calls for all citizens to engage, and offers a heartfelt reminder t...

Class has always been a taboo subject but much of what we do is influenced by it, from the coffee we drink to the candidates we vote for. Legal scholar Joan C. Williams explains why the cultural chasm created by class conflict is at the root of US political polarization and provides some pointers on how to step back from the brink.

Legendary investigative journalist Bob Woodward shares the inside story of President Richard Nixon's downfall, and what was learned from the notorious White House tapes. In his 2016 TEDxMidAtlantic talk, he warns that we are entering a new era of secrecy that harkens back to Nixon's days. We think we are resilient, he says, but if we are infecte...

After a vote that banned same-sex marriage in California, activist David Fleischer and his team at the Los Angeles LGBT Center started knocking on doors to test whether they could change voters' minds with a simple conversation. The results were encouraging. In this talk, Fleischer stresses the importance of deep canvassing and face to face inte...

Heather Brooke campaigns for freedom of information, requesting one secret document at a time.

What if your job didn't control your life? Brazilian CEO Ricardo Semler practices a radical form of corporate democracy, rethinking everything from board meetings to how workers report their vacation days (they don't have to). It's a vision that rewards the wisdom of workers, promotes work-life balance — and leads to some deep insight on what wo...

Poet and activist Amanda Gorman recites her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the historic inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Her words call for hope, unity and resilience in a time of division. "While democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated," she says. "In this truth, in this faith, we trust. For while we...

When global leaders think about which industries can fuel economic growth, the arts are often overlooked. But filmmaker Mehret Mandefro says the creative sector actually has the power to grow economies -- while also helping safeguard democracy. In this captivating talk, she shares a behind-the-scenes look at how she's putting culture back on the...

Wael Ghonim believes that the Internet can be the most powerful platform for connecting humanity, if we can bring civility and thoughtful conversations back to it.

A round-up of fascinating TED speakers who have founded some of the most amazing companies.

In the past three decades, says Michael Sandel, the US has drifted from a market economy to a market society; it's fair to say that an American's experience of shared civic life depends on how much money they have. (Three key examples: access to education, access to justice, political influence.) In a talk and audience discussion, Sandel asks us...

"A political cartoon is a barometer of freedom," says Rayma Suprani, who was exiled from her native Venezuela for publishing work critical of the government. "That's why dictators hate cartoonists." In a talk illustrated with highlights from a career spent railing against totalitarianism, Suprani explores how cartoons hold a mirror to society an...

As CEO of Citizen University, Eric Liu is working to spark a civic revival in the US and beyond.

In a powerful and wide ranging discussion, Congressman Elijah Cummings implores Americans to hold a mirror to ourselves and ask if we like what we have become. He argues that we should throw out the labels that divide us and focus on being Americans, and that it is our duty to leave our democracy in tact for future generations. The video is take...

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 East Base. Assuming that everyone wants the port to be closest to their home base, what is the fairest way to con...

To achieve lasting change sometimes requires the hard, even radical, choice of partnering with people you'd least expect. Justice reform advocate Nisha Anand shares her story of working with her ideological opposite to make history and save lives -- and urges us all to widen our circles in order to make progress with purpose.