TED Talks Daily Why US politics is broken — and how to fix it | Andrew Yang
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May 7, 2024 
Political reformer Andrew Yang joins the discussion, drawing on his experience from his 2020 presidential campaign. He argues that the U.S. political system is in dire need of redesign due to flawed incentives. Yang highlights the disconnect between voters and elected officials and proposes adopting ranked-choice voting to enhance democracy. He cites Alaska's successful reforms as a model, emphasizing their potential to reduce extremism and improve legislative action on critical issues.
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Incentives in Politics
- American politics suffer from a design flaw: poor incentives.
- Low congressional approval ratings coexist with high reelection rates due to gerrymandering.
Alaska's Reform
- Alaska reformed its primary process, leading to ranked-choice voting and nonpartisan primaries.
- This resulted in Mary Peltola, a lesser-known candidate, defeating Sarah Palin.
Murkowski's Re-election
- Lisa Murkowski, despite low favorability among Republicans after impeaching Trump, won reelection.
- Alaska's system, without party primaries, allowed her to be a second choice for many.