This brief summary of our most basic democratic expectations serves as a stark reminder of how distracted we Americans have become. Delivered during one of the most tumultuous times in world history, this reminder from Roosevelt separates the democratic ideal from an authoritarian antithesis that threatens our society today.

“For there is nothing mysterious about the foundations of a healthy and strong democracy. The basic things expected by our people of their political and economic systems are simple. They are:

• Equality of opportunity for youth and for others.
• Jobs for those who can work.
• Security for those who need it.
• The ending of special privilege for the few.
• The preservation of civil liberties for all.
• The enjoyment of the fruits of scientific progress in a wider and constantly rising standard of living.

These are the simple, basic things that must never be lost sight of in the turmoil and unbelievable complexity of our modern world.”

President Franklin Roosevelt’s Annual Message (Four Freedoms) to Congress (1941)