Notes from TED Democracy Philadelphia: Why democracy is worth fighting for

On June 13, 2026, more than 1,500 people gathered in Philadelphia to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States at TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures. Democracy may have weathered some hard years recently — with rising partisan tension, fraying institutional trust and declining civic participation, as Pew Research Center president Michael Dimock noted in his TED Talk from the event — but on that day, people had a reason to believe in this aspirational system of government.

A day of democratic connection

Attendees filled the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts for a full day examining the past, present and future of modern democracy in the city where it started. As a first-time TED attendee and political aficionado, I came in excited but skeptical. Would I leave more optimistic about democracy than when I arrived? But as soon as the doors opened that morning, the room was full of passionate people striking up conversations that felt urgent and necessary. After years of experiencing political dysfunction and partisan bickering, this immediately made me optimistic for the day ahead, before a single talk had even begun. 

Outside of the budding conversations, there was plenty to explore: local food vendors, interactive art installations, live performances and interviews on the Pew Spotlight Stage.

Then the talks began. The room was curious, willing to ask the critical questions and probe the answers. This event felt different. The atmosphere was curious, lively and welcoming. This wasn’t a gathering of the converted or complacent — it was a big tent that made you want to pull up a seat at the table and help shape what comes next.

The talks ranged from the role of technology and AI in civic life to how media literacy shapes democracy and ways to redesign the systems that choose our leaders. They challenged my assumptions. They offered new frameworks. They even sent me back in time to my county clerk’s office, where I voted for the first time. I remember my nerves buzzing with anticipation as I stood in that voting booth, carefully filling in each bubble to make sure my voice was heard from local races to the national stage. 

The speakers also reminded me that democracy doesn’t only happen in voting booths and government buildings — it happens among friends and families, in schools, in the small daily acts of showing up, supporting local businesses, going to PTA meetings or helping your neighbors. I felt pride in how we all engaged meaningfully with democracy, willing to challenge its faults and praise its successes. 

There were plenty of disagreements about how to approach the current issues plaguing democracy worldwide. But that’s not a flaw in the process — it’s the process working. Democracy doesn’t ask us to agree; it asks us to stay in the room, listening, questioning and working through the hard problems, even when we don’t see eye to eye.

After a day spent learning from each other, I thought I’d feel exhausted. Instead, I felt inspired. The day closed with a two-hour celebration featuring live music and dancing. There I was, standing in a room full of people who still wanted more of democracy and felt more optimistic about its future — not less.

The future, reimagined

Cynicism about our current state of democracy won’t vanish overnight. But to quote my favorite line from one of the most famous fictional presidents, Josiah Bartlet of The West Wing, “Decisions are made by those who show up.” That is exactly what the Founding Futures event showed me, the importance of showing up. 

250 years ago, a group of imperfect people sat down in this city and bet on a system that nobody could guarantee would work. We will never know exactly what that day looked like (as much as I’d like to believe my favorite musical, “Hamilton,” is 100% accurate), but today at Founding Futures, we embodied the Founding Fathers’ same spirit: reimagining what the future of democracy can and should be. 

We don’t have all the answers, but now we have a few more ideas, and a new community of people willing to act on them. And for now, that feels like a reason to celebrate. 

Happy 250th, Democracy! 

Ideas that travel beyond Philadelphia

The conversation about the future of modern Democracy started in Philadelphia, but it doesn’t end there. These ideas were designed to travel beyond a single day at the Kimmel Center.  

Want to hear what democracy sounds like from those who were in the room? TED’s new original series, Idea Knock Down, pairs up two speakers from TED Democracy Philadelphia: Founding Futures to take on big questions about democracy. You can watch it all here.