It’s a cool day in Philadelphia as you embark on your daily walk through Washington Square. The sunset is gleaming off the buttons of your new wool coat. The wind is testing the strength of your tricorn hat. 

However, the day has been full of hectic errands and it feels great to relax.

As you walk up 6th Street toward Chestnut, a glimmer of light from a candle catches your eye. A sharp turn to your right finds you looking right through Independence Hall at someone oddly familiar. 

Is that Thomas Jefferson? The famous author and politician representing our colonies in the war against Britain? Entering the hall, it becomes clear Jefferson is composing an important piece of work, which in a week or so will be signed off as the Declaration of Independence. 

Flashback to almost 250 years after Thomas McKean became the final signee and most of what is included in the Declaration is not followed. The common belief today is that George Washington and most delegates despised the ideas of political parties, in fear that one side would gain too much power, which is evident with today’s commander-in-chief. 

Donald Trump’s rise to president as a candidate with no specific party affiliation, even though he ran as a Republican, reflects the ideology our founding fathers hoped to achieve. A candidate whose views do not fall specifically on any side: Democrat or Republican. 

The billionaire was a registered Democrat for eight years before switching back after the election of Barack Obama. Trump has also given more money to the right and spent more time registered as a Democratic, becoming evident his affiliation is simply inconsistent. 

After Trump’s election, young Americans decided to turn their attention toward an even older figure to “feel the Bern.” Many chose the less traditional Bernie Sanders, who today has been deemed a radical for his ideas of Medicare for All and support of the Green New Deal. 

Sanders was the frontrunner for the Democratic nominee going into Super Tuesday. However, a coup has begun to build up with former presidential hopefuls like Mike Bloomberg, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg dropping out of the race and endorsing rival Joe Biden, in hopes of taking him down. After Biden’s astronomical Super Tuesday victory, the plan to overthrow Sanders looks to be working. 

Sanders has long considered himself a Democratic Socialist, yet recently has been accused of being the ultimate socialist. Most of the policies of Sanders revolve around doing away with capitalism and compensating for the growing inequality in the economy. These are policies that extremely expand on the ones built in place for Democrats to follow. 

The political landscape in the United States has never been this radical or diverse. 

Gone are the times of a president keeping their National Security Advisor for more than a whole month. Gone are the times of hardcore liberals or conservatives dominating the national conventions. And gone are the times of a man in the White House going more than four hours without tweeting.

The rise of the non-traditional and “The Apprentice” show creator Donald Trump has led to a country asking for change. 

According to a Gallup poll from Jan. 2020, 59 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going in our country. Trust in the government is also at a low, with only 13 percent saying that Washington will do what is right “just about always” or “most of the time.”

Since President Trump took office, he has virtually revamped the Republican party into a group of senators who either will go into the depths of hell to support the President, or walk the thin line toward the other side. Republican Senator Mitt Romney, for example, became a notorious figure in the party after his decision to impeach Trump during the impeachment trial in  the Senate.

Trump’s campaign took the country by storm and ignited the youth to become more involved in politics. The 2018 midterms saw one of the highest voter turnouts ever with 53.1 percent of Americans taking part in the election. A voter turnout has not reached 50 percent since 1978. 

The election of radical Donald Trump resulted in youth and ethnic groups increasing their awareness of politics, and finally getting out to vote. None more involved then among 18 to 29-year-olds, who had an increase from 20 percent to 38 percent between the 2014 and 2018 midterms, according to the Census. 

Therefore, the nontraditional style of candidates leads to a more informative and interested America. More and more citizens are becoming aware of news and what’s going on in the White House. 

Whether right or left-wing, the result is nothing more than positive. A more active country is a country worth living in, something our founding fathers hoped to achieve with the Declaration.

The time for change is approaching and with the election around the corner, the country can finally act. 

The refreshing sight of a candidate like Bernie Sanders, who focuses on minorities and the evolving middle class, adds to evolving politics and is a step forward.

Instead of deciding to feed the rich, he hopes to seal the rich from unpaid taxes. Instead of watching Earth burn up, he hopes to control the heat. Instead of looking to satisfy the right, he hopes to look both ways before moving to the middle. And instead of breaking the middle class, he hopes to build it back up.

Sanders, similar to Trump 2016, is a candidate who leans away from traditional standards and feeds off the country’s frustrations. These “radical” and “socialist” ideas might even win Sanders the race in November. 

The revolving-door age of politics proves to be revolutionary, in a time where Americans are more hungry for change than that faithful July 4th day at Independence Hall.