The Second Bill of Rights
Author | : Cass R. Sunstein |
Publisher | : Basic Books |
Total Pages | : 306 |
Release | : 2009-03-25 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780786736010 |
ISBN-13 | : 0786736011 |
Rating | : 4/5 (10 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: In 1944, Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a State of the Union Address that was arguably the greatest political speech of the twentieth century. In it, Roosevelt grappled with the definition of security in a democracy, concluding that "unless there is security here at home, there cannot be lasting peace in the world." To help ensure that security, he proposed a "Second Bill of Rights" -- economic rights that he saw as necessary to political freedom. Many of the great legislative achievements of the past sixty years stem from Roosevelt's vision. Using this speech as a launching point, Cass R. Sunstein shows how these rights are vital to the continuing security of our nation. This is an ambitious, sweeping book that argues for a new vision of FDR, of constitutional history, and our current political scene.