Nov. 8 is Election Day and, from now until then, I will be working as hard as I can to see that Donald Trump is defeated and that Hillary Clinton becomes our next president. But defeating Trump is not enough. On the day after the election I intend to work equally hard, with millions of other Americans, to make certain that the new president and Congress implement the 2016 Democratic Party platform, the most progressive party agenda in American history.

That agenda includes overturning the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, pay equity for women, a new approach toward trade, expanding Social Security, breaking up “too-big-to-fail” banks, making public colleges and universities tuition free for the middle class, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, aggressive action to combat climate change, raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, lowering prescription drug prices, a significant movement toward universal primary health care and major reforms in our criminal justice and immigration systems.

Despite the nature of media coverage, this election is not a popularity contest between Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump. This election must be about how the American people come together to reinvigorate our democracy and develop policies that address the multiple crises facing working families, the middle class and our environment.

Let us be honest. If this long and painful campaign has taught us anything it is that there are millions of Americans — supporters of Clinton and Trump — who are tired of a rigged economy, a corrupt campaign finance system and a media owned by a handful of giant conglomerates. They want fundamental changes in what is going on in our country.

They are tired of living in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, but seeing the top one-tenth of 1 percent own as much wealth as the bottom ninety percent. They are tired of working longer hours for lower wages while 52 percent of all new income goes to the top 1 percent. They are fearful that, for the first time in the modern history of this country, their kids will have a lower standard of living than their parents.

Every day they see, up close and personally, an economy which benefits corporate America and the billionaire class at the expense of ordinary Americans.

While the top five drug companies made more than $50 billion in profits last year, 35 million Americans are unable to afford the medicine they need because of rapidly rising prices and the fact that we pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.

While Trump and his billionaire friends, and many profitable corporations, pay nothing in federal income tax, our roads, bridges and water systems are collapsing because of inadequate investment.

While the fossil fuel industry spends hundreds of millions a year on television ads, campaign contributions and lobbying, climate change is leading to devastating problems here and throughout the planet.

While the giant banks on Wall Street continue their reckless and illegal behavior, enriching the few at the expense of the many, not one major Wall Street CEO has been prosecuted. In other words, the large banks are not only “too big to fail,” their executives are too big to jail.

And, in the midst of all this, we have a corrupt campaign finance system which, as a result of the disastrous Citizens United decision allows billionaires and corporate interests to buy elections. As I write, the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson and other billionaires are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to elect candidates who will protect the wealthy and the powerful. The extraordinary vision of American democracy — of one person, one vote — is being replaced by an oligarchic society in which the wealthy and powerful control our political life.

Election Day is an important day, but so is the day after. At this pivotal and dangerous moment in American history, our job is not just to elect a new president, but to bring people together to transform our country and create a government which works for all of us, and not just the 1 percent. When we stand united, regardless of race, gender, nationality or sexual orientation, there is nothing, nothing that we cannot accomplish.

Bernie Sanders is the junior U.S. senator from Vermont.

To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by e-mail or mail.