Eric Liu: Why ordinary people need to understand power

TL;DR

In this TED Talk, the speaker discusses the importance of understanding power in civics and proposes cities as the seat of the solution.

Transcript

I'm a teacher and a practitioner of civics in America. Now, I will kindly ask those of you who have just fallen asleep to please wake up. (Laughter) Why is it that the very word "civics" has such a soporific, even a narcoleptic effect on us? I think it's because the very word signifies something exceedingly virtuous, exceedingly important, and e... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌍 Civics has a reputation for being boring and uninteresting, but it is crucial for active citizenship and understanding power dynamics in society.
• 🔍 Power is the capacity to make others do what you want them to do, and it governs all forms of government, from democracy to dictatorship.
• 💡 Many people are illiterate in power, resulting in a concentration of influence in the hands of a few. It is crucial to democratize power and empower the majority.
• 😞 Public apathy and willful ignorance contribute to low civic knowledge, engagement, and participation. Politics has become a task for professionals, while the rest of us feel like amateurs and opt-out.
• 🏢 The city is the ideal arena for understanding and practicing power. Every city has its unique set of problems and challenges that require engaging with different forms of power.
• 🌱 Localism is emerging as a powerful force in our globalized world, with grassroots initiatives and networks creating change at the city level.
• 📚 A curriculum in civic power is crucial for empowering citizens and helping them develop the values, skills, and understanding needed to navigate power dynamics in society.
• 🌟 By sharing narratives of successful civic change and engaging in conversations and collaborations, we can make civics sexy again, democratize democracy, and create powerful city networks for self-government.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does the word "civics" have such a boring connotation?

The word "civics" is often associated with something virtuous, important, and boring. This is because it signifies the art of being a pro-social, problem-solving contributor in a self-governing community, which is not always seen as exciting or engaging.

Q: How can we make civics exciting again?

The speaker believes that the way to make civics exciting again is by explicitly teaching about power. By understanding and learning about power in the context of civic life, civics can become more interesting and relevant.

Q: What is the definition of power according to the speaker?

The speaker defines power as "the capacity to make others do what you would have them do." Power is not inherently good or evil; it simply governs how any form of government operates.

Q: What is the problem with power illiteracy?

The problem with power illiteracy is that only a few individuals who understand how power operates in civic life wield disproportionate influence. This creates a vacuum of power where the ignorant majority is easily influenced by those who understand how to manipulate power.

Q: What is the solution to the problem of power illiteracy?

The speaker believes that the solution lies in reimagining civics as the teaching of power. It is important for individuals to learn about power, understand how it operates, and recognize the elemental questions of civic power in order to effectively participate in self-governance and combat civic inequality.

Q: Why is it important to focus on power at the level of the city?

The speaker argues that there is no better arena for the practicing of power than the city. Power is flowing faster to the city, and with the concentration of knowledge, understanding, and creativity at the local level, cities can become powerful collective laboratories for self-government and bring about positive change.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker encourages people to make civics sexy and exciting again by focusing on the teaching of power

• He emphasizes the importance of power literacy and understanding how power operates in civic life

• The speaker suggests that cities are the ideal arena for practicing and understanding power, and urges people to engage in their local communities to effect change.