I’ve voted— now what? How about rejuvenating democracy?

With the election over and our votescast, manyAmericansare asking:“Nowwhat?” Moreandmore of us worry about the state of our democracy and realize that voting is notenough.

According to a national survey conducted by The Up shot and Siena College, 54% ofAmericansare very worried about losing American democracy, and that grows to

76% when you include those who are somewhat worried. More of us see that democracy doesn’ t just mean making sure our vote counts, which we were right fully concerned about. We care deeply about democracy and the rights and responsibilities that come with it. So, what are wet odo? Firstthebadnews. “I have written, by my crude calculation, about 2 million words ,” wrote economicscolumnist Robert Samuel son in his final column ,“most of them columns for The Washington Post, Newsweek and the

National Journal .… So fara sI can tell, nothing that I have written has ever had the slight est effect on what actually happened .”

My God, if a national columnist feels that way at the end of his career, what hope is there for theres tofus?

Nowthegoodnews. Iamheretotellyou that we absolutely can have an impact on whathappens. For40years, fromfounding the grassroots anti-poverty lobby RESULTS in 1980 to establishing Civic Courage in 2012, I have championed and coached ordinarycitizens and nonprofit organizations in how we can be effective citizens, all the time, whether we’ re in them ids to fan election or not. Here’ s just one example.

Last year, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was preparing for a three-year replenishment of funding. The Global Fund and its partners have saved 38 million lives since its inception in 2002. When President Trump called for a 29% cut to the Global Fund, activists didn’ t throw up their hands, they le apt into action. People just like you led in getting hundreds of congressional Republicans and Democrats to sign letters to the top House and Senate appropriators and to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and to co sponsor congressional resolution sin support of the Global Fund. Did it make a difference? You bet. Attheend of 2019, two House Republicans and two House Democrats stood on a stage in Lyon, France, and committed the U.S. Congress to a 16% increase for the Global Fund, which was later signed into law.

How does something like that happen? Here’ s just a glimpse.

“The Dallas chapter has the responsibility for our Texas Senators ,” said Margaret Smith, volunteer leader in Dallas of the anti-poverty lobby RESULTS. “When I saw Senator Cruz a this coffeeonLobbyDay, Iimmediately went up to shake his hand. Having heard from RESULTS to not let go until you get your entire[ spiel] done, I grabbed him with both hands. He listened very attentivelyand said he would look into it. I am sure it helped that one of my colleagues had just handed him over 70 letters she had collected. We met with his foreign policy aide after the coffee and had previously me this North Texas District Director and Deputy Director about the Global Fund replenishment. More than 25 letters to the editor, op-eds and editorials supporting the Global Fund were sent to his office and there were more than 40 meetings with Texas members of Congress or their staff. I must say we were all floored when Senator Cruz co sponsored the Senate Global Fund resolution! Senator Cruz had never co sponsored anything or signed any letter due to our asks! Maybe this can beat urning point in our relationship with him .”

That’ s a far cry from saying that“nothing that I have written has ever had the slight est effect on what actually happened .”

Whether you’ re elated or devastated over the results of the election, your chance to shape the leadership we get isn’ t over.

Earlierthisyear, RalphNadersaid: “Remember, our country is full of problems we don’ t deserve and solutions which we do not apply. That ga pisa democracy gap that no power can stop us from closing .”

We’ re the only ones who can close that democracy gap. We all harbor some doubt that we can be change makers, but there are ways that we can. This is a government formedfor, byandofthepeople, andweget to have a say everyday, if we’ re willing to put in the effort. If you’ re asking“now what ?” like millions of your fellow Americans, here’ s an answer: How about rejuvenating democracy?