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.

What can a young woman with an idea, an Internet connection and a bit of creativity achieve? That's all Siyanda Mohutsiwa needed to unite young African voices in a new way. Hear how Mohutsiwa and other young people across the continent are using social media to overcome borders and circumstance, accessing something they have long had to violentl...

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 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: 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...

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:...

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.

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)...

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.

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.

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...

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

James Flynn challenges our fundamental assumptions about intelligence.

Robb Willer studies the forces that unite and divide us. As a social psychologist, he researches how moral values -- typically a source of division -- can also be used to bring people together. Willer shares compelling insights on how we might bridge the ideological divide and offers some intuitive advice on ways to be more persuasive when talki...

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

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.

César Hidalgo nos propone una idea radical para arreglar el sistema político roto: ¡automatízalo! En una charla que te hace reflexionar, explica la idea de cómo llegar a reemplazar a los políticos para empoderar a los ciudadanos con agentes virtuales personalizados que voten directamente en los proyectos de ley. Explora una nueva manera de tomar...

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 the major issues that US leadership is failing to address -- from cybercrime to world-shaking new tech to the r...

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...

The more we read and watch online, the harder it becomes to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. It's as if we know more but understand less, says philosopher Michael Patrick Lynch. In this talk, he dares us to take active steps to burst our filter bubbles and participate in the common reality that actually underpins everything.

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

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.

A recent Gallup poll listed the most- and least-trusted professions in America. At the bottom of the list: car salesmen and members of Congress. It’s not hard to understand why our politicians rate so poorly — scandals, myopia, obstinance, party loyalty over common good, fiscal cliffs. All have left voters exasperated and confused. But while con...

The day after the Brexit referendum, British journalist (and recently announced Pulitzer Prize finalist) Carole Cadwalladr went to her home region of South Wales to investigate why so many voters had elected to leave the European Union. She asked residents of the traditionally left-wing town of Ebbw Vale, a place newly rejuvenated by EU i...

About this event: After a 9-year hiatus, election season is finally here! Lebanon heads to the ballot box on May 6th, and new faces have emerged in our political arena. That's why ‘The X on Your Ballot’ is the theme of our next Salon! Join us for a cozy Sunday evening with TED talks, musical performances, and riveting conversations about the state of our democracy.

María Teresa Kumar is the President and CEO of Voto Latino, a nonprofit organization committed to shaking up the American political process.

Economic growth is the defining challenge of our time; without it, political and social instability rises, human progress stagnates and societies grow dimmer. But, says economist Dambisa Moyo, dogmatic capitalism isn't creating the growth we need. As she shows, in both state-sponsored and market-driven models, capitalism is failing to solve soci...