You can kick Jorge Ramos out of your press conference (as Donald Trump infamously did in 2015), but you can never silence him. A reporter for more than 30 years, Ramos believes that a journalist's responsibility is to question and challenge those in power. In this compelling talk -- which earned him a standing ovation midway through -- Ramos exp...

Alessandra Orofino founded Meu Rio, Rio de Janeiro’s largest mobilization network.

The year was 1776. In Bavaria, new ideals of rationalism, religious freedom and universal human rights competed with the Catholic church's heavy influence over public affairs. Adam Weishaupt, a law professor frustrated with the Church's ideology, decided to spread his ideas through a secret society: the Illuminati. Chip Berlet dives into the his...

Rachel Kleinfeld advises governments, philanthropists and activists on how democracies can make major social change -- even in distressed circumstances.

Jarreth Merz' new film, "An African Election," follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana from start to finish.

Former Republican member of the U.S. Congress Bob Inglis shares an optimistic message about how conservatives can lead on climate change and other pressing problems -- and how free enterprise (and working together across ideologies) hold the solutions. "The United States was not built by those who waited and wished to look behind them," Inglis s...

All around the globe, people are feeling increasingly skeptical and mistrustful of their leaders. According to one global trust barometer, only 52% of survey respondents said that they trusted their government to do the right thing in 2011 and, in 2012, the number plummeted to 43%. As recent surveys reveal, only 18% of Italians believe their...

About this event: The majority of the world’s countries are now governed by democratic regimes. And yet concerns remain that democracy’s spread is stalling and that even within so-called ‘democratic’ nations, the conditions necessary for fair and accountable government find themselves increasingly under threat. Technological advances have had an irrevocable effec...

Strategist, technologist and policy expert Katherine Maher is an advocate for free and open societies.

What's stopping the American government from recording your phone calls, reading your emails and monitoring your location? Very little, says surveillance and cybersecurity counsel Jennifer Granick. The government collects all kinds of information about you easily, cheaply and without a warrant -- and if you've ever participated in a protest or a...

About this event: What drives some citizens to deep participation when others are losing faith in our institutions? What can we learn about inclusive decision-making from First Nation peoples? Do we need to reset our democracy with new values and fresh intent? Three fascinating speakers will share their insights regarding community participation in civil society...

About this event: TEDxHousesofParliament happened on June 22nd and delved into democracy in ways which surprised, delighted and challenged the audience. The day began in the historic Banqueting House on Whitehall, location of the execution of Charles I, and finished in the Palace of Westminster. 23 performers and speakers appeared on the TEDxHousesofParliament St...

About this event: What does Digital Democracy mean to you? We'll be hearing from 4 speakers providing their views on what it means to them. This is a Google only event.

About this event: Centered around the theme of Innovations in Democracy, local speakers Kristin Eberhard and Nikki Fisher will discuss the need for and development of better voter systems and voter access to allow for honest elections and greater citizen engagement. The Salon will feature TED.com videos and commentary by Jefferson Smith to round out this topic — ...

About this event: There is a corruption at the heart of American politics, caused by the dependence of candidates on funding from the tiniest percentage of citizens. That’s the argument at the core of legal scholar Lawrence Lessig’s life long work about Democracy. Fundamentally cross-partisan, and incredibly hopeful, Mr. Lessig conveys a roadmap for a democracy w...

Since leaving office as US Secretary of State in 2001, Madeleine Albright has continued her distinguished career in foreign affairs as a businesswoman, political adviser and professor.

Big-picture talks about global politics and the shifting weight of the world.

James Flynn challenges our fundamental assumptions about intelligence.

Join us on Facebook Live for another episode of TED Dialogues, our response to current events, adding insight, context and nuance to the conversations we're having right now. Join us Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 1–2pm on TED's Facebook page. Our speakers are two historians who will try to help us make sense of what's going on in Washington:...

By Yasheng Huang Earlier this year, economist Yasheng Huang (watch his 2011 TED Talk) sparred with Eric X. Li in the pages of Foreign Affairs on a similar topic to today's TED Talk. The TED Blog asked Huang to expand on his argument in his ongoing conversation with Li. Imagine confusing the following two statements from a cancer doctor: 1)...

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 ignoring pain until it became anger. It chides an idealistic yet remote elite for its behind-closed-doors world...

Former Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow tackles the unintended effects of technology on those already impacted by discrimination and disadvantage.

Award-winning journalist and author, Will Potter focuses on the animal rights and environmental movements, and civil liberties in the post-9/11 era.

About this event: On June 14th just under 800 people gathered to hear from 25 speakers and performers on the themes of democracy and representation. From politicians to poets and philsophers to game designers we heard some fascinating ideas worth spreading.

A venture capitalist and political scientist, Eric X Li argues that the universality claim of Western democratic systems is going to be "morally challenged" by China.

Collective wisdom might best be found when small groups of people are given a chance to discuss and deliberate, say social scientists Mariano Sigman, Joaquin Navajas, Gerry Garbulsky and Dan Ariely. Could this suggest a better way to vote? For many years, problems with democracy have been pushed under the carpet in the general belief that “demo...

Ilona Szabó de Carvalho designs solutions for some of the world's biggest challenges -- from reducing violence and reforming drug laws to renewing democracy and fighting polarization.

One of the things that baffles mere mortals about the 2008 financial crisis is that no one seems to have been held accountable for what went on. Sure, there’ve been a few public mea culpas, and sure, multimillion-dollar fines have been paid. But actual admissions of guilt? Not so much. A grand total of one Wall Streeter has gone to jail for his ...

About this event: Come join us for this TEDx viewing party. Our theme for the night is DEMOCRACY. All are welcome. Refreshments will be provided. Tickets and reservations are not required.

About this event: Conversations are about problem solving and new possibilities, conversations are about love and compassion, conversations are about democracy and diplomacy. When TEDxAlmedalen is arranged for the fifth consecutive year, the conversation is in focus.