--- description: A new book argues the reason they haven't yet is that they care too much title: Will Millennials Start Running for Office? image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0a4a1a45bfe41c1/6988b981cf40a809fac4668d/millennials-office-barack-obama-protests.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Books](/tag/books/) ## Books Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Will Millennials Start Running for Office? by [Sarah Begley](/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 9, 2017 11:00 AM CUT  Women's March On Washington on Jan. 21, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Women's March On Washington on Jan. 21, 2017 in Washington, D.C.Jenny Anderson—FilmMagic/Getty Images by [Sarah Begley](/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 9, 2017 11:00 AM CUT For years, most [millennials](http://time.com/247/millennials-the-me-me-me-generation/ "undefined") have avoided running for [public office](http://time.com/3883500/running-from-office/ "undefined"). But contrary to popular stereotypes, it was not because the generation born between 1982 and 2002 didn’t care about [changing the world](http://swampland.time.com/2013/05/09/millennial-politics/ "undefined"); it was because they cared too much — or so argues Shauna L. Shames, a Rutgers political-science professor who surveyed dozens of students at places like the Kennedy School of Government for her new book, [_Out of the Running_](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1479825999/?tag=timecom-20 "undefined"). Despite the election of President Obama, who drew heavy millennial support, most young people saw politics as all partisan infighting, no progress. As a result, they opted for careers in NGOs, community organizing or appointed office, where they felt they could get more done. But there are signs the tides are turning. Shames cites the rise of [Bernie Sanders](http://time.com/4175920/donald-trump-bernie-sanders-millennials-poll/ "undefined") as proof millennials will “work within the political system when properly inspired.” And if the recent anti-Trump protests are any indication, that inspiration may be coming in spades. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4664988/millennials-politics-public-office/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4664988/millennials-politics-public-office/"},"headline":"Will Millennials Start Running for Office?","datePublished":"2017-02-09T11:00:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T03:13:22.091Z","description":"A new book argues the reason they haven't yet is that they care too much","url":"https://time.com/4664988/millennials-politics-public-office/","keywords":["Books"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0a4a1a45bfe41c1/6988b981cf40a809fac4668d/millennials-office-barack-obama-protests.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Begley","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc0a4a1a45bfe41c1/6988b981cf40a809fac4668d/millennials-office-barack-obama-protests.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Women's March On Washington - March","caption":"Women's March On Washington - March","creditText":"Jenny Anderson—FilmMagic/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/books/","name":"Books"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4664988/millennials-politics-public-office/","name":"Will Millennials Start Running for Office?"}}]}] ```