WK5 Participation: The 2nd Bill of Rights
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In his last State of the Union address in 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt suggested that the constitutional protections of substantive and procedural rights, while important, were not enough to secure true peace and prosperity for all Americans. He said a 2nd Bill of Rights was necessary that focused on economic rights.
You can read the relevant portion of his speech here at this Wikipedia page (Links to an external site.) (url: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Bill_of_Rights (Links to an external site.) ).
You can also watch a video excerpt of the speech here: (Links to an external site.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EZ5bx9AyI4
In your initial post, answer the following questions:
1. What is your general impression of Roosevelt's recommendations? Which of these in particular, if any, do you think are necessary today?
2. Roosevelt, here and elsewhere spoke in terms of the need for "equality in the pursuit of happiness." and that "true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence." What are some ways our personal freedoms and opportunities can be limited or constrained due to economic insecurity/poverty?
3. What is the difference in how the government exerts its authority, or not, between the original Bill of Rights, and the rights Roosevelt advocates for here? Explain.
Please review the rubric below for further requirements/guidelines for the assignment: