Bernie Sanders Quotes

We need to get young people excited about politics, excited about government.

We're all looking for an authentic way to be engaged in the community, engaged in politics, engaged in national discussion - and so, we're clunky. We're all clunky. But it's better than not doing it.

Musicians are, by and large, not the most politically savvy crew.

Parishes can help lift up the moral and human dimension of public issues, calling people to informed participation in the political process.

We are not apathetic in this country.

I've spoken about politics a lot over the years and my main issue that I championed was just general engagement in politics.

I started in politics as a fresh graduate wanting to make a difference, by bringing more political awareness and interest to young people.

I like to think of myself as an active American in our politics, but I get lost sometimes watching everything.

Young people need to re-engage with politics. The life of democracy depends on it. We've left it to the stuff shirts, and obviously they haven't been minding the store.

The only way change happens is when people become more significantly involved in the political process. We have to increase voter turnout and citizen participation so that people know what's going on and demand a government that works for everybody and not just the one percent.

What I can do is to go out and talk about the problems and solutions, make people aware of the scope of the problems, get them to become advocates for a turnaround, and convince them to develop an action plan, targeted to their community, to deal with young people. [They need to] find out what the kids want to do - dances, midnight-basketball leagues.

That's always been the case in America; there's been a big spectrum in how much people are interested in American politics.

I'll have 15 letters today from mostly young kids who don't like what's going on and want to do something about it, and [they ask me] if I can give them some advice as to what they should do, or can I tell them what to read or something.

I really appreciate when people use their fame and their voice for more than just self-promotion, starting a dialogue about a topic or an issue much bigger than themselves.

We need to come together sometimes and show our strength, so that the Donald Trump administration at its 100th day is under no illusions that people are somehow in a fog. We know absolutely what this guy is doing, and boy, are we pissed off about it.

I think that [Barack] Obama was elected because young people are starting to get interested in their country and I think that's a very healthy thing.

You can't afford to hate politics. The politics of this country is democracy. Democracy is by the people, of the people and for the people. The day people stop taking active part in the politics of this country, democracy will not survive.

I think, in my own state, I can tell you that people do want to hear a serious discussion on serious issues.

People who consider themselves political, who follow political developments most rigorously, are often those who view the political process with the greatest lack of perspective.

I'm not interested in politics, or being a part of them. I definitely do my homework and make sure that I know what's going on, and I'm responsible enough to be able to vote for people that I respect. But other than that, I've never been a part of the political world.

Growing up, I realized as an actor I had to figure out how to use my platform in order to give back as well and use that spotlight to shine, or at least to balance that light and to try to shine light onto the other issues that were happening in the world.

Some observers compare elections in some countries with sports events, where people are but spectators. Moreover, elections must not be mere interludes for pushing a lever and then retreating to passivity, for democracy demands committed participation in the daily workings of society.

We have got to mobilize people and rethink our commitment in terms of what our role is in the political process.

Why I've never been that fond of politics and only got into it recently kicking and screaming, because I don't think politicians are going to reverse the trajectory of this country. I think it's going to depend on the American people understanding what is fair and what makes their lives better.

Bernard Shaw remains the only model we have of what the citizen of a democracy should be: an informed participant in all things we deem important to the society and the individual.