TED: Why US politics is broken — and how to fix it | Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang discusses the flaws in American politics, focusing on poor incentives and the influence of media. He highlights the disparity between low congressional approval ratings and high re-election rates, attributing it to the primary system and media influence. Yang proposes a solution inspired by Alaska's voting reform, which uses rank choice voting to reduce extremism and improve political accountability. He suggests that similar reforms in other states could realign political incentives and foster meaningful progress.

What is the main issue Andrew Yang identifies in American politics?

• Lack of voter participation

• Poor and perverse incentives

• High taxation

• Overregulation

What is the re-election rate for incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives?

• 15%

• 30%

• 70%

• 94%

What percentage of voters typically participate in party primaries?

• 60-65%

• 10-12%

• 40-45%

• 25-30%

How do media organizations contribute to political polarization?

• By ignoring political issues

• By separating people into tribes and teams

• By focusing on international news

• By promoting bipartisan cooperation

What voting system was implemented in Alaska to address political issues?

• First-past-the-post

• Ranked choice voting

• Proportional representation

• Mixed-member proportional

Who was the relatively unknown candidate that defeated Sarah Palin in Alaska?

• Michael Porter

• Mary Paltola

• Catherine Gale

• Lisa Murkowski

What was the cost of the reform campaign in Alaska?

• $100 million

• $22 million

• $6 million

• $1 million

How many states have ballot initiative measures to change the primary system?

• 30

• 25

• 15

• 10

What percentage of the $10 billion spent in the presidential cycle would be needed to implement reforms in 10 states?

• 5%

• 2%

• 1%

• 10%

What is the ultimate goal of the proposed political reforms?

• To eliminate political parties

• To realign incentives and improve governance

• To reduce government spending

• To increase party loyalty