Why the US has two parties -- & how to add more | Sarah Messerschmidt | TEDxValparaisoUniversity

Could you reimagine our idea of voting so that we could allow for more democratic representation among society within our friends, businesses, and government? A brief history is provided of the First Past the Post (FPTP), or majority wins, voting system in America, then discuss how this system has led to unenthusiastic and unengaged voters because it always leads to a two-party system. President George Washington originally warned American society against a two-party system in his Farewell Address, so this talk proposes multiple alternative forms of voting and discuss how other Western countries have used them as a model for America. Some of these voting systems would include the Alternative Vote, Single Transferable Vote, and Mixed Member Proportional Representation.
Sarah Messerschmidt is a junior undergraduate student at Valparaiso University majoring in both International Economics and German with a business minor while also being a Christ College honors scholar. On campus she serves as the President of her sorority and a tour guide for the Valparaiso University Office of Admissions. Her research interests include political theory, developmental economics, and corporate social responsibility. After undergraduate studies, Sarah hopes to pursue graduate school in economics and work for the U.S. government. She is thrilled to speak at TEDxValparaisoUniversity! Sarah hopes that after her talk, you will have a better understanding of how systems of voting affect political reality so that you will be encouraged to fight for a more equitable representation of government. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx