The Second Bill of Rights : FDR's Unfinished Revolution -- And Why We Need It More Than Ever

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. Using Fdr's 1944 State Of The Union Address As A Starting Point, The Author Delves Deeply Into The Revolutionary Mind That Penned This Remarkable Declaration Of Economic Rights And Illuminates The Demise Of This Ambitious Program For Reform In The Wake Of The President's Death. The Speech Of The Century -- The Myth Of Laissez-faire -- Rights From Wrongs : Roosevelt's Constitution -- The Emergence Of The Second Bill -- A Puzzle And An Overview -- The Oldest Constitution On Earth -- American Exceptionalism And American Culture -- 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 -- Roosevelt's Incomplete Triumph. Cass R. Sunstein. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 263-280) And Index. 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. 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 This is an ambitious, sweeping book that argues how rights are vital to the continuing security of our nation. ON JANUARY 11, 1944, the United States was engaged in its longest conflict since the Civil War.