Obama, FDR and the Second Bill of Rights
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Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) -- As the actions of his first termmade clear, and as his second inaugural address declared,President Barack Obama is committed to a distinctive vision ofAmerican government. It emphasizes the importance of freeenterprise, and firmly rejects “equality of result,” but it issimultaneously committed to ensuring both fair opportunity anddecent security for all.
In these respects, Obama is updating Franklin DelanoRoosevelt’s Second Bill of Rights. To be sure, his second termhas barely started, and his precise place in history remains tobe established. Yet we can’t appreciate the arc of Americanpolitics, or the nation’s current situation and prospects,without understanding the Second Bill.