--- title: Election: Don't Let This Election Ruin Politics for You description: Democracy works best when more people are engaged, and our collective disengagement leads to real policy consequences. canonical: https://time.com/4561665/election-democracy-engagement/ author: Scott Warren article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-09T16:11:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:14.733Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Election: Don't Let This Election Ruin Politics for You og:description: 'Democracy works best when more people are engaged' og:url: https://time.com/4561665/election-democracy-engagement/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dbfdcc43ae2b6b8/6988adb0f887dc5b36e98243/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-election-landon-nordeman-38.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1500 og:image:height: 844 og:image:alt: hillary-clinton-donald-trump-election-landon-nordeman-38 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Election: Don't Let This Election Ruin Politics for You twitter:description: 'Democracy works best when more people are engaged' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dbfdcc43ae2b6b8/6988adb0f887dc5b36e98243/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-election-landon-nordeman-38.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Don't Let This Election Ruin Politics for You > Sponsored content. 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A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=5b529e6b-1ca2-4058-af14-e744d2c509a9&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Donald Trump Runs for President: A Look Back [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump Runs for President: A Look Back](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dgn8DCbB.m3u8) (7:19)  _Published 2016-10-31. In one of the most shocking U.S. elections in modern political history, Donald Trump has defeated Hillary Clinton._ by [Scott Warren](https://time.com/author/scott-warren/) and [Gary Blank](https://time.com/author/gary-blank/) Nov 9, 2016 4:11 PM UTC  Supporters attend an election night party for Hillary Clinton at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, on Nov. 8, 2016, in New York. Supporters attend an election night party for Hillary Clinton at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, on Nov. 8, 2016, in New York. Landon Nordeman for TIME by [Scott Warren](https://time.com/author/scott-warren/) and [Gary Blank](https://time.com/author/gary-blank/) Nov 9, 2016 4:11 PM UTC The seemingly interminable 2016 presidential election has finally come to a close, with Donald Trump pulling out an astonishing [victory](http://time.com/4563685/donald-trump-wins/). Some in our country are excited. Some are nervous. Our country is as divided as it has ever been. And now, regardless of opinions about the outcome, it is up to all of us to get to work. In an increasingly polarized country, one of the only areas of consensus was the recognition that our democracy is not working. Citizens are frustrated by the lack of progress on issues including the economy and immigration, and trust in Congress is at an [all-time low](http://www.gallup.com/poll/192581/americans-confidence-institutions-stays-low.aspx). The culmination of this political disillusionment was one of the ugliest presidential races in recent history, between two candidates with unprecedented unfavorable ratings. Many people are sick of politics, especially as they wake up this morning. But it is irresponsible and disempowering to blame our political problems solely on politicians. We can all help suggest better solutions and play a part in creating a new, more positive politics. Starting today. Democracy works best when more people are engaged, and our collective disengagement leads to real policy consequences. For example, the vast majority of people in this country want some form of common-sense gun reform, but NRA members engage by voting and contacting elected officials. Social Security reform is another issue that might advance differently if all ages were more engaged. While we all are a part of the problem, we can—and must—be part of the solution. Today, regardless of disappointment or political exhaustion, the best way to channel this discontent is not to divorce from the process. The solution is to become even more political. Today, we must each decide how we will respond to the results. Will we continue to be disappointed, and just complain? Or will we use the collective frustration as motivation for engaging anew in the political process? No president can solve all of our problems on their own. We have a tendency to pin too many of our hopes and dreams on one candidate to solve all of our collective challenges. This may have happened with young people when President Obama was elected in 2008\. His inability to fix everything created a sense of political disillusionment. One way to re-engage citizens is to emphasize the ability of local elected officials to solve local problems. There are around 500,000 elected officials in this country. Many, like School Board members and City Councilmembers, can affect our everyday lives as much than the president. Their elections may not have been as exciting as the presidential race, but educating individuals on the ability of local officials to solve problems is a crucial way to boost political engagement. Another solution is to emphasize the real impact that comes from regular people taking simple actions. From our respective work in a Congressional office and founding an organization devoted to action civics in the classroom, we have witnessed that political engagement is open to everybody—if people show up. It is a learned experience: engaged, active citizens are created, not born. In a world of instantaneous gratification, the only way to affect change in the political arena is dogged and persistent determination—bills are not passed overnight. Any citizen can ask for an appointment, politicians read hand-written constituent letters, and persistence can pay off. Despite the perception otherwise, elected officials do care about the opinions of voters. We are not calling for unity. These are real issues and people should still disagree. We come from different sides of the aisle—one of us worked in President George W. Bush’s administration, and the other actively volunteered to get Barack Obama elected. But we have also realized that all of us are increasingly in our own bubbles. Part of political engagement is having hard conversations and understanding divergent perspectives. While free trade is objectively statistically positive for the economy, it can have real negative impacts on certain industries and workers. We do need to take steps to improve our environment, but there are real consequences for coal regions in the rust belt that are too often glossed over and dismissed. We need testing in our schools to instill accountability and gauge performance, yet there is too little understanding of the unintended consequences of how testing is used. Breaking out of these bubbles, and empathetically understanding the perspectives of our fellow citizens, is crucial. Despite our collective aversion to politics, we must actually double down and engage more. The responsibility to create a better politics lies with us as individuals, and we all need to act, starting today. ## Transcript I am officially running Aah, yeah [ APPLAUSE ]. for President of the United States [ APPLAUSE ] and we are going to make our country great again. The American Dream is dead, but if I get elected President I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again. I was called by a major major reporter whose name I won't use. And he said to me what you've done has never been done Male 1: In the history of United States politics. And more and more people are resonating to what I'm saying. That's why I'm leading in every poll. We will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with winning. I think I have to win. I'm about winning. Male 2: It's been amazing to follow and exciting because you say some shocking Things [ LAUGH ] You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slabs, and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account. Only Rosie O'Donnell Look at those hands, are they small hands? And he referred to my hands, if they're small something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem there, I guarantee it. I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters okay? You gotta see this guy, I don't know what I said. I don't remember. [ APPLAUSE ] Here's a guy throwing punches, nasty as hell, screaming and everything else when we're talking. I mean what can happen, and we're not allowed, you know the guards are very gently with him, he's walking out like big high fives. Smiling, laughing, like to punch him in the face. [ APPLAUSE ] USA! USA! USA! When Mexico sends their people, they're not bringing their best. They're sending drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapist. I will build a great great wall On our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. The former president of Mexico Vicente Fox, he said today, and I'm quoting him. He said, I'm not going to pay for that quote, F'ing wall. How are you going to make them pay for the wall? I will and the wall just got ten feet taller, believe me. Zero tolerance for criminal aliens, zero, zero. Now a different threat challenges the whole world. Radical Islamic Terrorism. Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shut down. Of Muslims entering the United States. Donald Trump, let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? You have sacrificed nothing, and no one [ APPLAUSE ] I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs. Built great structures. I've had tremendous success. Those are sacrifices? Sure I think they're sacrifices. [ MUSIC ] As the proud daughter of your nominee I am here to tell you this is the moment and Donald Trump is the person to make America great again. [ LAUGH ] I humbly and gratefully accept. Your nomination for the presidency of the United States. And we will make America great again. God Bless you and good night. I love you. [ Music ] Ladies and gentlemen, the Republican nominee for President, Donald J. Trump. And the Democratic nominee for President Hilary Clinton . >> You're telling the enemy everything you wanted to do . >> No we're not . >> See. you're telling the enemy everything you wanted to do . >> There are different . >> Secretary, is it President Obama's fault? Wrong >> That is absolutely Wrong . >> Prove over and over again. Wrong. I also have a much better temperament than she has, you know? If Hillary knew how she would have done it already, period, end of story. I won the debate, I stayed calm just like I promised, and it is over. Goodnight, [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ LAUGH ] I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful. I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. [ LAUGH ] Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Whatever you want. Grab them by the ****. I've said and done things I regret, and the words released today on this more than a decade old video Are one of them. This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we're facing today. You bragged that you have sexually assaulted women, do you understand that? No I didn't say that at all. I don't think you understood what was said. This was lock Locker room talk . >> Just breaking a damning report from the New York Times that claims Donald Trump inappropriately touched two women, the first nearly [ INAUDIBLE ] That more women now accuse Donald Trump of improper physical contact . >> The People Magazine writer who said that Donald Trump kissed her and groped her in 2005 while she was interviewing him and his then pregnant wife Melania . >> These vicious claims About me, of inappropriate conduct with women. Are totally, and absolutely false. I didn't know any of these women, I didn't see these women. And I didn't even apologize to my wife, who's sitting right here, cuz I didn't do anything. Thank you. Do you make the same commitment that you will absolutely, Sir, that you will absolutely accept the result of this election? I will look at it at the time. I'm not looking at anything now, I'll look at it at the time. And I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election. If I win. 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