There is no doubt that this has been an extremely unusual election year. With scandals, party infighting, unexpected frontrunners, and the possibility of a brokered convention looming large, traditional politics has been thrown out the window. Non-establishment candidates such as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have been doing exceptionally well in an environment usually dominated by career politicians and party big-wigs.

The success of these candidates is directly attributable to the wariness of the average voter to the political situation in America today. According to a poll by Harvard’s Institute of Politics, trust in the political process and institutions has slid to an all-time low. Voters are no longer thinking of political experience as necessary criteria to become President. For many people, the fact that Sanders and Trump are both political outsiders is a huge part of their appeal.

The more successful of these two candidates is, of course, real estate mogul-turned Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump has ridden a wave of support coming mostly from blue collar whites disillusioned with their lack of economic opportunities. Many are attracted to Trump for his straight-talking, no-nonsense approach, but this approach has also landed him in hot water on more than one occasions. His extremely divisive nature has sent Republican Party bosses into a tailspin; trying in vain to find a viable candidate to beat him.

On the other side of the aisle, Bernie Sanders’ core audience has been liberal-minded millenials dazed with the state of education, the economy, and income inequality. While Sanders hasn’t been as successful as Trump at winning delegates, he has been extremely successful in pushing his radical democratic socialist platform. He has succeeded in moving Hillary Clinton far to the left and has successfully siphoned off many of her key voters. Sanders has been giving Clinton a real run for her money in a contest many thought she had in the bag.

While the race for the White House will be over this coming fall, there is no doubt that the political atmosphere of the United States has changed dramatically over the course of the last year. It seems that the American people are more jaded and divided than ever. Whoever is elected this November, one thing that must be accomplished is bringing the American people back together and making politics work for everyone.