Michelle Hobby

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Changing Ideas Award
This work challenges the idea that political power remains contained within national borders. The declaration “NOT OUR PRESIDENT” is often read as dissent from within the United States, but here it expands into a global claim. It speaks for those who live with the consequences of leadership they did not choose and cannot influence.
In a world shaped by interdependence, decisions made by a single administration can determine the cost of energy, the stability of regions, and the conditions under which people live or die. Power travels. Accountability does not. For millions, there is no vote—only impact.
Even within the United States, democratic participation complicates the notion of mandate. Voter turnout remains partial, and electoral outcomes do not reflect unanimous will. The result is a system in which authority is asserted as representative, while large portions of the population remain unrepresented or disengaged.
The phrase “NOT OUR PRESIDENT” therefore becomes more than protest—it becomes a statement about the limits of democracy in its current form. It raises the question of whether leadership defined by borders can adequately account for the realities of a connected world.