The speech of the century -- The myth of laissez-faire -- Rights from wrongs : Roosevelt's constitutional order -- The birth of the second bill -- A puzzle and an overview -- The oldest constitution on earth -- American culture and American exceptionalism -- America's pragmatic Constitution -- How the Supreme Court (almost) quietly adopted the second bill -- Citizenship, opportunity, security -- Objections : against the second bill? -- The question of enforcement -- Epilogue: Roosevelt's incomplete triumph.
Summary
In 1944, Roosevelt gave a State of the Union Address that was one of the greatest political speeches of the 20th century. He proposed a 'Second Bill of Rights' - rights he saw as necessary to achieve political freedom. Using this speech as a launching point, this book shows how these rights are vital to the security of the nation.
