TEDNYC
Eric Liu: There's no such thing as not voting
Filmed:
Readability: 4.6
919,957 views
Many people like to talk about how important voting is, how it's your civic duty and responsibility as an adult. Eric Liu agrees with all that, but he also thinks it's time to bring joy back to the ballot box. The former political speechwriter details how he and his team are fostering the culture around voting in the 2016 US presidential election -- and closes with a powerful analysis of why anyone eligible should show up on Election Day.
Eric Liu - Civics educator
Eric Liu is founder of Citizen University, which teaches the art of powerful citizenship, and the executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship & American Identity Program. Full bio
Eric Liu is founder of Citizen University, which teaches the art of powerful citizenship, and the executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship & American Identity Program. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Why bother?
0
1000
1360
00:16
The game is rigged.
1
4600
1200
00:18
My vote won't count.
2
6240
1200
00:20
The choices are terrible.
3
8720
1240
00:22
Voting is for suckers.
4
10840
1240
00:25
Perhaps you've thought
some of these things.
some of these things.
5
13280
2136
00:27
Perhaps you've even said them.
6
15440
1429
00:29
And if so, you wouldn't be alone,
and you wouldn't be entirely wrong.
and you wouldn't be entirely wrong.
7
17520
3440
00:33
The game of public policy today
is rigged in many ways.
is rigged in many ways.
8
21880
4176
00:38
How else would more than half
of federal tax breaks
of federal tax breaks
9
26080
3976
00:42
flow up to the wealthiest
five percent of Americans?
five percent of Americans?
10
30080
2480
00:45
And our choices indeed are often terrible.
11
33360
2240
00:48
For many people
across the political spectrum,
across the political spectrum,
12
36360
2176
00:50
Exhibit A is the 2016
presidential election.
presidential election.
13
38560
3160
00:54
But in any year, you can look
up and down the ballot
up and down the ballot
14
42760
2536
00:57
and find plenty to be uninspired about.
15
45320
2680
01:01
But in spite of all this,
I still believe voting matters.
I still believe voting matters.
16
49560
3416
01:05
And crazy as it may sound,
17
53000
1896
01:06
I believe we can revive the joy of voting.
18
54920
2240
01:09
Today, I want to talk
about how we can do that, and why.
about how we can do that, and why.
19
57960
3360
01:14
There used to be a time
in American history when voting was fun,
in American history when voting was fun,
20
62680
3576
01:18
when it was much more than just
a grim duty to show up at the polls.
a grim duty to show up at the polls.
21
66280
3200
01:22
That time is called
"most of American history."
"most of American history."
22
70080
2416
01:24
(Laughter)
23
72520
1416
01:25
From the Revolution
to the Civil Rights Era,
to the Civil Rights Era,
24
73960
2976
01:28
the United States had a vibrant,
25
76960
1576
01:30
robustly participatory
and raucous culture of voting.
and raucous culture of voting.
26
78560
4240
01:35
It was street theater, open-air debates,
fasting and feasting and toasting,
fasting and feasting and toasting,
27
83480
4136
01:39
parades and bonfires.
28
87640
2056
01:41
During the 19th century,
immigrants and urban political machines
immigrants and urban political machines
29
89720
3536
01:45
helped fuel this culture of voting.
30
93280
1760
01:47
That culture grew with each
successive wave of new voters.
successive wave of new voters.
31
95600
4320
01:53
During Reconstruction,
when new African-American voters,
when new African-American voters,
32
101040
2936
01:56
new African-American citizens,
33
104000
1720
01:58
began to exercise their power,
34
106560
2016
02:00
they celebrated in jubilee parades
35
108600
2216
02:02
that connected emancipation
with their newfound right to vote.
with their newfound right to vote.
36
110840
3360
02:06
A few decades later, the suffragettes
37
114920
1920
02:09
brought a spirit
of theatricality to their fight,
of theatricality to their fight,
38
117680
3096
02:12
marching together in white dresses
as they claimed the franchise.
as they claimed the franchise.
39
120800
3120
02:16
And the Civil Rights Movement,
40
124680
1536
02:18
which sought to redeem
the promise of equal citizenship
the promise of equal citizenship
41
126240
2775
02:21
that had been betrayed by Jim Crow,
42
129039
2000
02:23
put voting right at the center.
43
131800
1477
02:26
From Freedom Summer to the march in Selma,
44
134160
2576
02:28
that generation of activists
knew that voting matters,
knew that voting matters,
45
136760
3216
02:32
and they knew that spectacle
and the performance of power
and the performance of power
46
140000
3096
02:35
is key to actually claiming power.
47
143120
1960
02:38
But it's been over a half century
since Selma and the Voting Rights Act,
since Selma and the Voting Rights Act,
48
146560
3520
02:42
and in the decades since,
49
150880
1976
02:44
this face-to-face culture of voting
50
152880
2296
02:47
has just about disappeared.
51
155200
1976
02:49
It's been killed by television
52
157200
1936
02:51
and then the internet.
53
159160
1536
02:52
The couch has replaced the commons.
54
160720
2296
02:55
Screens have made
citizens into spectators.
citizens into spectators.
55
163040
2976
02:58
And while it's nice to share
political memes on social media,
political memes on social media,
56
166040
3296
03:01
that's a rather quiet kind of citizenship.
57
169360
2160
03:04
It's what the sociologist Sherry Turkle
calls "being alone together."
calls "being alone together."
58
172560
3640
03:09
What we need today
59
177360
1456
03:10
is an electoral culture
that is about being together together,
that is about being together together,
60
178840
3856
03:14
in person,
61
182720
1216
03:15
in loud and passionate ways,
62
183960
2216
03:18
so that instead of being
"eat your vegetables" or "do you duty,"
"eat your vegetables" or "do you duty,"
63
186200
4256
03:22
voting can feel more like "join the club"
64
190480
2976
03:25
or, better yet, "join the party."
65
193480
1680
03:28
Imagine if we had,
across the country right now,
across the country right now,
66
196160
3536
03:31
in local places but nationwide,
67
199720
2936
03:34
a concerted effort
to revive a face-to-face set of ways
to revive a face-to-face set of ways
68
202680
3656
03:38
to engage and electioneer:
69
206360
1520
03:40
outdoor shows in which candidates
and their causes are mocked
and their causes are mocked
70
208600
3856
03:44
and praised in broad satirical style;
71
212480
2696
03:47
soapbox speeches by citizens;
72
215200
1920
03:49
public debates held inside pubs;
73
217840
2320
03:53
streets filled with political art
and handmade posters and murals;
and handmade posters and murals;
74
221920
4736
03:58
battle of the band concerts in which
competing performers rep their candidates.
competing performers rep their candidates.
75
226680
5040
04:04
Now, all of this may sound
a little bit 18th century to you,
a little bit 18th century to you,
76
232360
4056
04:08
but in fact, it doesn't have to be
any more 18th century
any more 18th century
77
236440
3336
04:11
than, say, Broadway's "Hamilton,"
78
239800
3216
04:15
which is to say vibrantly contemporary.
79
243040
2000
04:17
And the fact is that all around the world,
80
245640
2000
04:19
today, millions of people
are voting like this.
are voting like this.
81
247664
3592
04:23
In India, elections are colorful,
communal affairs.
communal affairs.
82
251280
4256
04:27
In Brazil, election day
is a festive, carnival-type atmosphere.
is a festive, carnival-type atmosphere.
83
255560
4760
04:32
In Taiwan and Hong Kong,
there is a spectacle,
there is a spectacle,
84
260959
2497
04:35
eye-popping, eye-grabbing spectacle
85
263480
2256
04:37
to the street theater of elections.
86
265760
2280
04:40
You might ask, well,
here in America, who has time for this?
here in America, who has time for this?
87
268720
3736
04:44
And I would tell you
88
272480
1256
04:45
that the average American
watches five hours of television a day.
watches five hours of television a day.
89
273760
3080
04:50
You might ask, who has the motivation?
90
278240
2296
04:52
And I'll tell you,
91
280560
1216
04:53
any citizen who wants to be seen and heard
92
281800
4136
04:57
not as a prop, not as a talking point,
93
285960
2296
05:00
but as a participant, as a creator.
94
288280
2320
05:03
Well, how do we make this happen?
95
291720
2360
05:06
Simply by making it happen.
96
294800
1520
05:08
That's why a group of colleagues and I
97
296920
1856
05:10
launched a new project
called "The Joy of Voting."
called "The Joy of Voting."
98
298800
3080
05:14
In four cities across the United States --
99
302880
2456
05:17
Philadelphia, Miami,
100
305360
1656
05:19
Akron, Ohio, and Wichita, Kansas --
101
307040
2456
05:21
we've gathered together
artists and activists,
artists and activists,
102
309520
2936
05:24
educators, political folks,
neighbors, everyday citizens
neighbors, everyday citizens
103
312480
3736
05:28
to come together and create projects
104
316240
1736
05:30
that can foster this culture
of voting in a local way.
of voting in a local way.
105
318000
3560
05:34
In Miami, that means
all-night parties with hot DJs
all-night parties with hot DJs
106
322240
3056
05:37
where the only way to get in
is to show that you're registered to vote.
is to show that you're registered to vote.
107
325320
3334
05:41
In Akron, it means political plays
108
329160
3016
05:44
being performed
in the bed of a flatbed truck
in the bed of a flatbed truck
109
332200
2536
05:46
that moves from neighborhood
to neighborhood.
to neighborhood.
110
334760
2120
05:49
In Philadelphia,
111
337960
1216
05:51
it's a voting-themed scavenger hunt
all throughout colonial old town.
all throughout colonial old town.
112
339200
3936
05:55
And in Wichita, it's making
mixtapes and live graffiti art
mixtapes and live graffiti art
113
343160
5016
06:00
in the North End to get out the vote.
114
348200
1800
06:02
There are 20 of these projects,
115
350760
1496
06:04
and they are remarkable
in their beauty and their diversity,
in their beauty and their diversity,
116
352280
2856
06:07
and they are changing people.
117
355160
1576
06:08
Let me tell you about a couple of them.
118
356760
2056
06:10
In Miami, we've commissioned and artist,
119
358840
1976
06:12
a young artist named Atomico,
120
360840
2016
06:14
to create some vivid and vibrant images
for a new series of "I voted" stickers.
for a new series of "I voted" stickers.
121
362880
4240
06:19
But the thing is, Atomico had never voted.
122
367880
2520
06:23
He wasn't even registered.
123
371080
1696
06:24
So as he got to work on creating
this artwork for these stickers,
this artwork for these stickers,
124
372800
4496
06:29
he also began to get over
his sense of intimidation about politics.
his sense of intimidation about politics.
125
377320
4136
06:33
He got himself registered,
126
381480
1616
06:35
and then he got educated
about the upcoming primary election,
about the upcoming primary election,
127
383120
3296
06:38
and on election day he was out there
not just passing out stickers,
not just passing out stickers,
128
386440
3296
06:41
but chatting up voters
and encouraging people to vote,
and encouraging people to vote,
129
389760
2576
06:44
and talking about
the election with passersby.
the election with passersby.
130
392360
2280
06:47
In Akron, a theater company
called the Wandering Aesthetics
called the Wandering Aesthetics
131
395720
3776
06:51
has been putting on
these pickup truck plays.
these pickup truck plays.
132
399520
2776
06:54
And to do so, they put out
an open call to the public
an open call to the public
133
402320
2776
06:57
asking for speeches,
monologues, dialogues, poems,
monologues, dialogues, poems,
134
405120
3496
07:00
snippets of anything
that could be read aloud
that could be read aloud
135
408640
2336
07:03
and woven into a performance.
136
411000
1560
07:05
They got dozens of submissions.
137
413280
1760
07:07
One of them was a poem
138
415720
1896
07:09
written by nine students in an ESL class,
139
417640
3136
07:12
all of them Hispanic migrant workers
140
420800
2136
07:14
from nearby Hartville, Ohio.
141
422960
2360
07:17
I want to read to you from this poem.
142
425880
2120
07:21
It's called "The Joy of Voting."
143
429200
1560
07:24
"I would like to vote for the first time
144
432600
2416
07:27
because things are changing for Hispanics.
145
435040
2040
07:30
I used to be afraid of ghosts.
146
438000
2136
07:32
Now I am afraid of people.
147
440160
1240
07:34
There's more violence and racism.
148
442480
1800
07:36
Voting can change this.
149
444960
1440
07:39
The border wall is nothing.
150
447840
1480
07:41
It's just a wall.
151
449800
1200
07:44
The wall of shame is something.
152
452040
2600
07:47
It's very important to vote
153
455800
1896
07:49
so we can break down this wall of shame.
154
457720
2360
07:53
I have passion in my heart.
155
461320
1560
07:55
Voting gives me a voice and power.
156
463480
2040
07:58
I can stand up and do something."
157
466400
2320
08:02
"The Joy of Voting" project
isn't just about joy.
isn't just about joy.
158
470960
2936
08:05
It's about this passion.
159
473920
1536
08:07
It's about feeling and belief,
160
475480
2336
08:09
and it isn't just our organization's work.
161
477840
2200
08:12
All across this country right now,
162
480560
1936
08:14
immigrants, young people, veterans,
people of all different backgrounds
people of all different backgrounds
163
482520
3376
08:17
are coming together to create
this kind of passionate, joyful activity
this kind of passionate, joyful activity
164
485920
3496
08:21
around elections,
165
489440
1416
08:22
in red and blue states,
in urban and rural communities,
in urban and rural communities,
166
490880
2936
08:25
people of every political background.
167
493840
2096
08:27
What they have in common is simply this:
168
495960
2696
08:30
their work is rooted in place.
169
498680
2520
08:34
Because remember,
all citizenship is local.
all citizenship is local.
170
502320
2760
08:37
When politics becomes
just a presidential election,
just a presidential election,
171
505720
3536
08:41
we yell and we scream at our screens,
and then we collapse, exhausted.
and then we collapse, exhausted.
172
509280
3600
08:45
But when politics is about us
173
513679
3617
08:49
and our neighbors
and other people in our community
and other people in our community
174
517320
2776
08:52
coming together to create experiences
of collective voice and imagination,
of collective voice and imagination,
175
520120
4360
08:57
then we begin to remember
that this stuff matters.
that this stuff matters.
176
525440
2440
09:00
We begin to remember
that this is the stuff of self-government.
that this is the stuff of self-government.
177
528560
3440
09:05
Which brings me back to where I began.
178
533240
1840
09:07
Why bother?
179
535880
1200
09:09
There's one way to answer this question.
180
537640
1905
09:12
Voting matters because it is
a self-fulfilling act of belief.
a self-fulfilling act of belief.
181
540440
4200
09:17
It feeds the spirit of mutual interest
that makes any society thrive.
that makes any society thrive.
182
545440
4400
09:22
When we vote, even if it is in anger,
183
550960
2656
09:25
we are part of a collective,
creative leap of faith.
creative leap of faith.
184
553640
2960
09:29
Voting helps us generate
the very power that we wish we had.
the very power that we wish we had.
185
557840
3520
09:34
It's no accident
that democracy and theater
that democracy and theater
186
562240
2816
09:37
emerged around the same time
in ancient Athens.
in ancient Athens.
187
565080
2400
09:40
Both of them yank the individual
out of the enclosure of her private self.
out of the enclosure of her private self.
188
568200
4240
09:45
Both of them create great
public experiences of shared ritual.
public experiences of shared ritual.
189
573440
3640
09:50
Both of them bring the imagination to life
190
578200
2536
09:52
in ways that remind us
that all of our bonds in the end
that all of our bonds in the end
191
580760
3296
09:56
are imagined, and can be reimagined.
192
584080
2840
10:02
This moment right now,
193
590760
1200
10:04
when we think about
the meaning of imagination,
the meaning of imagination,
194
592800
3416
10:08
is so fundamentally important,
195
596240
3200
10:12
and our ability to take that spirit
196
600480
3176
10:15
and to take that sense
197
603680
1576
10:17
that there is something greater out there,
198
605280
2056
10:19
is not just a matter
of technical expertise.
of technical expertise.
199
607360
3776
10:23
It's not just a matter of making the time
or having the know-how.
or having the know-how.
200
611160
3056
10:26
It is a matter of spirit.
201
614240
1280
10:28
But let me give you an answer
to this question, "Why bother?"
to this question, "Why bother?"
202
616720
2936
10:31
that is maybe a little less spiritual
and a bit more pointed.
and a bit more pointed.
203
619680
3440
10:36
Why bother voting?
204
624440
1776
10:38
Because there is
no such thing as not voting.
no such thing as not voting.
205
626240
2896
10:41
Not voting is voting,
206
629160
1816
10:43
for everything that you
may detest and oppose.
may detest and oppose.
207
631000
2896
10:45
Not voting can be dressed up
208
633920
1736
10:47
as an act of principled,
passive resistance,
passive resistance,
209
635680
3016
10:50
but in fact not voting
210
638720
1936
10:52
is actively handing power over
211
640680
2216
10:54
to those whose interests
are counter to your own,
are counter to your own,
212
642920
2336
10:57
and those who would be very glad
to take advantage of your absence.
to take advantage of your absence.
213
645280
3536
11:00
Not voting is for suckers.
214
648840
2320
11:04
Imagine where this country would be
215
652800
1696
11:06
if all the folks who in 2010
created the Tea Party
created the Tea Party
216
654520
3096
11:09
had decided that,
you know, politics is too messy,
you know, politics is too messy,
217
657640
2936
11:12
voting is too complicated.
218
660600
1256
11:13
There is no possibility
of our votes adding up to anything.
of our votes adding up to anything.
219
661880
2800
11:17
They didn't preemptively
silence themselves.
silence themselves.
220
665320
2296
11:19
They showed up,
221
667640
1776
11:21
and in the course of showing up,
they changed American politics.
they changed American politics.
222
669440
3360
11:25
Imagine if all of the followers
of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders
of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders
223
673480
4776
11:30
had decided not to upend
the political status quo
the political status quo
224
678280
3696
11:34
and blow apart the frame
of the previously possible
of the previously possible
225
682000
3056
11:37
in American politics.
226
685080
1616
11:38
They did that by voting.
227
686720
1960
11:43
We live in a time right now,
228
691160
2216
11:45
divided, often very dark,
229
693400
2536
11:47
where across the left and the right,
there's a lot of talk of revolution
there's a lot of talk of revolution
230
695960
3616
11:51
and the need for revolution
to disrupt everyday democracy.
to disrupt everyday democracy.
231
699600
3080
11:55
Well, here's the thing:
232
703120
1616
11:56
everyday democracy already
gives us a playbook for revolution.
gives us a playbook for revolution.
233
704760
3000
12:00
In the 2012 presidential election,
234
708760
2056
12:02
young voters, Latino voters,
235
710840
1736
12:04
Asian-American voters, low-income voters,
236
712600
2256
12:06
all showed up at less than 50 percent.
237
714880
2520
12:11
In the 2014 midterm elections,
turnout was 36 percent,
turnout was 36 percent,
238
719200
4056
12:15
which was a 70-year low.
239
723280
1680
12:17
And in your average local election,
240
725920
1896
12:19
turnout hovers
somewhere around 20 percent.
somewhere around 20 percent.
241
727840
2360
12:23
I invite you to imagine 100 percent.
242
731320
3240
12:27
Picture 100 percent.
243
735640
1720
12:30
Mobilize 100 percent,
244
738080
2136
12:32
and overnight, we get revolution.
245
740240
2240
12:35
Overnight, the policy priorities
of this country change dramatically,
of this country change dramatically,
246
743040
4016
12:39
and every level of government
becomes radically more responsive
becomes radically more responsive
247
747080
3536
12:42
to all the people.
248
750640
1280
12:45
What would it take
to mobilize 100 percent?
to mobilize 100 percent?
249
753240
2560
12:48
Well, we do have to push back
against efforts afoot
against efforts afoot
250
756480
2536
12:51
all across the country right now
251
759040
1736
12:52
to make voting harder.
252
760800
1200
12:54
But at the same time,
253
762480
1496
12:56
we have to actively create
a positive culture of voting
a positive culture of voting
254
764000
3136
12:59
that people want to belong to,
255
767160
1616
13:00
be part of, and experience together.
256
768800
2536
13:03
We have to make purpose.
257
771360
1616
13:05
We have to make joy.
258
773000
1320
13:07
So yes, let's have that revolution,
259
775160
2656
13:09
a revolution of spirit, of ideas,
260
777840
2496
13:12
of policy and participation,
261
780360
2016
13:14
a revolution against cynicism,
262
782400
2136
13:16
a revolution against the self-fulfilling
sense of powerlessness.
sense of powerlessness.
263
784560
3440
13:20
Let's vote this revolution into existence,
264
788520
3336
13:23
and while we're at it,
265
791880
1336
13:25
let's have some fun.
266
793240
1536
13:26
Thank you very much.
267
794800
1216
13:28
(Applause)
268
796040
2280
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Eric Liu - Civics educatorEric Liu is founder of Citizen University, which teaches the art of powerful citizenship, and the executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship & American Identity Program.
Why you should listen
Eric Liu is an author, educator and civic entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Citizen University, which promotes and teaches the art of great citizenship through a portfolio of national programs, and the executive director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program.
Liu's books include the national bestsellers The Gardens of Democracy, and The True Patriot, co-authored with Nick Hanauer. His most recent book is A Chinaman's Chance, published in July, 2014. His first book, The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker, was a New York Times Notable Book featured in the PBS documentary "Matters of Race." His other books include Guiding Lights: How to Mentor – and Find Life's Purpose, the Official Book of National Mentoring Month; and Imagination First, co-authored with Scott Noppe-Brandon of the Lincoln Center Institute, which explores ways to unlock imagination in education, politics, business and the arts.
Liu served as a White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and later as the President's deputy domestic policy adviser. After the White House, he was an executive at the digital media company RealNetworks. In 2002 he was named one of the World Economic Forum’s Global Leaders of Tomorrow, and in 2010 he was awarded the Bill Grace Leadership Legacy Award by the Center for Ethical Leadership.
Liu lives in Seattle, where he teaches civic leadership at the University of Washington and hosts Citizen University TV, a television program about civic power. In addition to speaking regularly at venues across the country, he also serves on numerous nonprofit and civic boards. He is the co-founder of the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility. A board member of the Corporation for National and Community Service, he is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School.
Eric Liu | Speaker | TED.com