The video sheds light on a common misconception about politics, challenging the image of politics as purely divisive by focusing on the positive impacts young leaders have on the political landscape. It emphasizes that younger generations in politics are finding common ground and effectively implementing bipartisan legislation to tackle pressing issues. Specifically, it discusses how millennials and Gen-Z have outperformed in passing bipartisan laws, indicating a shift towards a less polarized and more cooperative political environment.

It provides an insightful look into the challenges and successes of young politicians through personal stories, particularly focusing on Ri Xu, a young lawmaker from Kansas. The narrative paints a picture of the struggles young legislators face, such as low pay, lack of staff support, and a toxic work environment. Yet, it also highlights reforms and adjustments being made in certain states, like increased pay and better support structures, which enable these leaders to continue their work and push for impactful, bipartisan legislation.

Main takeaways from the video:

Please remember to turn on the CC button to view the subtitles.

Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. bipartisan [ˌbaɪˈpɑːrtɪzən] - (adjective) - Involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other's policies. - Synonyms: (cross-party, nonpartisan, cooperative)

But I've spent the years since then traveling the country, meeting hundreds of bipartisan young state, local, and federal elected officials

2. caucus [ˈkɔːkəs] - (noun) - A meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. - Synonyms: (meeting, gathering, assembly)

Through the work I lead at a nonprofit organization called Future caucus, I've gotten to help more than 1800 young elected leaders build the skills and relationships that they need to thrive as policymakers

3. legislature [ˈlɛdʒɪsleɪtʃər] - (noun) - A group of people with the power to make or change laws in a country or state. - Synonyms: (parliament, congress, legislative body)

And so he decided to run for the Kansas state legislature, and he won

4. coalition [ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən] - (noun) - An alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political parties forming a government or of states. - Synonyms: (alliance, union, partnership)

Last year, 25% of state legislators were Millennial or Gen Z, but they wrote 40% of all bipartisan legislation that passed. So they're overperforming when it comes to building coalitions to get things done.

5. polarization [ˌpoʊlərɪˈzeɪʃən] - (noun) - The division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs. - Synonyms: (division, separation, schism)

And that reveals a very unlikely way to tackle the amorphous problem of political polarization in a very human centered way

6. amorphous [əˈmɔrfəs] - (adjective) - Without a clearly defined shape or form. - Synonyms: (shapeless, formless, indefinite)

And that reveals a very unlikely way to tackle the amorphous problem of political polarization in a very human centered way.

7. sustainable [səˈsteɪnəbl] - (adjective) - Able to be maintained or continued without causing harm to the environment or depleting resources. - Synonyms: (viable, maintainable, defensible)

It just didn't seem sustainable, and he probably would have quit

8. infrastructure [ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧər] - (noun) - The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. - Synonyms: (framework, foundation, support systems)

Beyond that, states can invest in critical infrastructure like technology, communications support and staffing to make the work of governing more efficient.

9. toxicity [tɒkˈsɪsɪti] - (noun) - The quality of being very harmful or unpleasant in a pervasive or insidious way. - Synonyms: (harmfulness, venomousness, noxiousness)

And finally, legislators have to navigate toxicity on the job daily, whether that be threats from angry constituents or hostility from colleagues that make it hard to build trust in the workplace.

10. retention [rɪˈtɛnʃən] - (noun) - The continued possession, use, or control of something. - Synonyms: (preservation, maintenance, continuance)

And there are three main issues that I see contributing to the retention crisis among promising young leaders

Can Politics Be Healthy? Lessons From the Belly of the Beast. - Layla Zaidane - TEDxJacksonville

What image comes to mind when I say the word politics? Okay, so there's a very good chance that the picture that just popped into your head, especially if you're a chronically online person, looks something like this. I'm willing to bet that not a single person came up with, like, a lovely picture that looks something like that. If I played this game a decade ago, I probably would have come up with a cartoonish old man with a monocle and a cigar. But I've spent the years since then traveling the country, meeting hundreds of bipartisan young state, local, and federal elected officials. And their stories paint a very different picture of our politics.

Through the work I lead at a nonprofit organization called Future caucus, I've gotten to help more than 1800 young elected leaders build the skills and relationships that they need to thrive as policymakers. Most people are really focused on what happens before and on election Day. I'm obsessed with what happens after. How can I help these young leaders thrive? What obstacles are standing in their way? And how does removing them help all of us get the results we need on issues from health care to jobs and more?

Here's the thing. Contrary to what you might assume, the next generation is already finding common ground and getting things done out of passion, absolutely. But also out of practical self interest. I mean, we don't have time to waste when it comes to tackling some pretty urgent issues. And if you're still skeptical, listen to this. Last year, 25% of state legislators were Millennial or Gen Z, but they wrote 40% of all bipartisan legislation that passed. So they're overperforming when it comes to building coalitions to get things done.

So I'm an optimist, but I'm also a realist. I believe that scaling the next generation's positive impact on the culture of policymaking can lead to a future that is less polarized and more productive. But there are concrete barriers standing in the way of that vision. And removing them starts with acknowledging one radical truth. Elected officials are people, too. I know, I know. It's true. It's an alarming statistic, actually. But 100% of all elected leaders are human beings. At least until the AI takes those jobs, too. But until then, they're just like you and me. Imperfect, but mostly well intentioned. And that reveals a very unlikely way to tackle the amorphous problem of political polarization in a very human centered way.

How? Let me tell you a story about a young man named Ri XU. Back in 2018, Ri Xu was 29 years old and Working at an international humanitarian nonprofit. It was wonderful work, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more he could do to help his community. And so he decided to run for the Kansas state legislature, and he won. In 2019, he became representative Rishu, and soon he was working really long hours. So if you're a lawmaker, even if the legislature is out of session and it's 11pm and you're in the grocery store in your pajamas buying baby food, if a voter sees you in the aisle and wants to talk about clean water issues in the district, you are right back on the clock.

He also started doing more with less on his new salary of $22,000 a year, which was a 75% pay cut from his salary at the nonprofit job. It's not uncommon to see little Astra not at daycare, but sitting on ri's lap during meetings or floor votes. But still, despite the challenges, RI was passionate about the work and good at it. But by 2022, just three years into the job, he was getting burned out. In fact, he was on the verge of quitting altogether.

On top of the long hours and low pay, he was trying to do his job with practically no staff and amid increasing partisan tensions. It just didn't seem sustainable, and he probably would have quit. But in 2023, the state of Kansas did something bold, initiating reforms to improve working conditions for public employees, including re. Among the reforms included the first pay raise for legislators since 2008 and new investments in technology to help them better communicate with their constituents. Instead of quitting, Rhee doubled down.

Over the past six years, Rhee has worked with Democrats and Republicans to advance bipartisan legislation on access to affordable housing, from which hundreds of people have already benefited. As the first Chinese American lawmaker in Kansas state history, he's helped his colleagues build the state into a more welcoming place for immigrants.

Our country's founders believed in the idea of citizen legislatures, where everyday citizens could step up, serve, and then return to their communities. It's a powerful idea. Our government should reflect the diversity of the people it represents, and I agree with that vision. But to carry forward the idea of citizen legislatures in today's modern world, we have to make it so that people of all backgrounds can participate.

We hear all the time how more young people should run for office, as though just convincing good leaders to run will fix our politics. But recruiting great talent is only half of the equation. If we really want to tackle polarization, we have to retain them, too. The truth is, stories like RI's are incredibly common. And there are three main issues that I see contributing to the retention crisis among promising young leaders.

First, the average state legislator earns $20,000 less than the average American worker. In many states, legislative wages have lagged for decades, falling behind the cost of living. Second, many state legislatures don't have a lot of staff to help with the nuts and bolts of democracy. In Georgia, there is one staffer for every eight elected officials, which means there's often nobody to help with basic functions like answering constituent phone calls or organizing town hall meetings.

And finally, legislators have to navigate toxicity on the job daily, whether that be threats from angry constituents or hostility from colleagues that make it hard to build trust in the workplace. According to the Brennan Center, 43% of state legislators report being seriously threatened or assaulted in the past three years. And I've gotten too many phone calls from a legislator who's had their home address posted online or a brick thrown through their window.

So now imagine yourself in their shoes, working multiple full time jobs, including doing multiple full time jobs in your own understaffed office. A permanent lack of work life balance and incessant attention, including stalking, harassment and violence. How would you feel? What would you do? It should come as no surprise that more and more bright young public servants are calling it quits.

The good news is there are solutions. In Arkansas, Senator Bree Ann Davis was the first woman in state history to give birth while serving as a state senator. When she went to run for re election, she discovered she wasn't able to use her campaign funds to pay for the cost of childcare for her three kids. So you know what she did? She changed the law working across the aisle to make it so that young moms and dads no longer have to choose between building their families and serving their communities.

There are really easy policy changes that can make the legislature a more sustainable place for talented young leaders, from benefits like childcare to offering fair wages. Beyond that, states can invest in critical infrastructure like technology, communications support and staffing to make the work of governing more efficient.

We can also build support networks so that people who get elected and want to work across the aisle can find each other. That's a big part of my job at future caucus. I get to help young policymakers practice building the muscle memory of cooperation. Connecting along a generational identity, not a partisan one, allows them to build trust, to deprogram harmful assumptions they may have about one another and work on common sense policy solutions together.

And not only do these forums help young elected leaders get to know each other as people across Lines of political difference. It's a shockingly simple way to transcend the toxic polarization that otherwise poisons the political environment. We've helped launch a bipartisan Future caucus chapter in 30, 34 states and Congress. And since this idea started in 2013, it's become the largest cross partisan network of young elected officials in the whole country.

So I no longer imagine an old man with a monocle and a cigar when I think of our politics, because I've had a front row seat to see just how good the next generation is at getting things done. Especially once they have the infrastructure to rise above our broken politics.

So let's take a look at this picture again. The one you probably thought was a stock photo. These are members of the Kansas State Future caucus. Let me introduce you to Republican State Senator Tori Marie Blue and Democratic State Representative Brandon Woodard. They and hundreds of young lawmakers like them are actively building a better culture of policymaking.

And as their numbers grow, there can be a tipping point. But they can't do it alone. It's not enough for healthy civic behaviors to just happen inside our institutions. A healthy civic flywheel depends on people outside our institutions too. This is where you come in.

You get to choose the story we tell about what happens next. Who we are as a country has always been a work in progress. And everyday people have always written the next chapter. Democracy didn't just spring up out of the ground fully formed. It was created by and is sustained by we the people.

So my call to you is don't check out. Practice democracy in your everyday life. Take actions in your community. Go to a local event or volunteer for something. Engage with people who see the world differently and learn how to disagree better.

And listen. Look up who your state and local elected leaders are. They are the people who are grinding every day making decisions on the issues that impact your day to day life. Sign up for their newsletters and actually read them. It's the best way to stay connected to the things that are most directly impacting you.

And finally, dysfunction in our democracy is a self fulfilling prophecy. There are hundreds of innovative efforts happening all over the country. Seek those out, amplify those, not just the stories that reinforce our feelings of dismay. I believe that when we work together, America's best days are ahead. But we need leaders who can live up to that promise.

I believe the next generation of elected officials with their fresh ideas and speakers, spirit of collaboration, they can be those leaders. We need them. And you, you can be those leaders. We need you. So let's do it. Let's write the next chapter of our democracy together.

POLITICS, LEADERSHIP, MOTIVATION, YOUNG LEADERS, FUTURE CAUCUS, BIPARTISAN, TEDX TALKS