Blog #169 – FDR’s 2nd Bill of Rights
As part of his State of the Union address on January 11, 1944, President Roosevelt presented the nation with a 2nd Bill of Rights – economic rights that the government would have to guarantee for all Americans once the laws were passed. Take a look at the following video:
He listed 8 things that would bring economic security to our nation and hopefully, by extension, to the rest of the world. At the point that he gave this address in history, America was NOT planning on a Cold War with the Soviet Union or stockpiling tens of thousands of nuclear missiles or spending billions on a military budget every year. That would come later. None of the 46 years of futility vs. the Soviet Union (1945-1991) was set in stone, nor the explosion and entrenchment of the military-industrial complex in our national economy like it is today (in 2023, the federal government spent over $800 billion for the Defense Department – https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59727).
However, America was coming out of the war w/ its biggest national debt in its history (having borrowed $200 billion from the American people in war bonds – $170 billion held by U.S. taxpayers – and from American banks + $100 billion in income taxes). Congressmen were wary of spending additional huge amounts of money on peace time programs, especially for FDR, because his New Deal programs had had such a mixed track record of success and failure.
The reason I bring this issue up is b/c I think that the country has spent the next 80 years (and may continue) to try to achieve or reverse his goals. Some administrations have added small pieces to FDR’s 2nd Bill of Rights, while other administrations have tried to rollback or even repeal other aspects of it.
Your questions to answer:
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
350 words minimum total for all three answers. Due Thursday, April 25th by class.
Further reading:
To read a book review entitled: “FDR’s 2nd Bill of Rights: A New New Deal” click here.
A response to this book from Forbes magazine who say that only one Bill of Rights is quite enough. click here.
Here’s an analysis of how the 2nd Bill is going so far: Click here.
An article about how the 2nd BoR violates the Constitution, click here.
The second right mentioned has been seen since 1944. For example, there have been many protests and other forms of discussions about raising the minimum wage since the prices of everything else is increasing. This has been seen most amongst waitresses and nurses, especially those who are women. Raising the minimum wage would help people who are struggling to afford the basic needs in life, which is what the second right is trying to do. The seventh right mentioned also has appeared more recently than 1944. The use of retirement homes and 401k plans for retired old people can have some sort of income and receive the care necessary whenever it is needed. This shows how the seventh right is still used and helps the old people of today.
I think the fifth right mentioned should be addressed as soon as possible by the president or a government official because some people have to live in small run-down homes that don’t fit there family or barely work as a shelter from the weather. Also, it should be addressed quickly because, even though it is shelter for the family, it might not be the best and it could be in a bad area with high crime and poverty rates. It should also be addressed because everyone should be given a home for a fair price and maybe even for cheaper than the cost because it’s not healthy for someone to be living in bad conditions or on the streets. Therefore, everyone should be provided a house to live in that is suitable for the family size and needs.
I think the first right is the least likely to be enforced due to the qualification of the people trying to apply to the jobs. For example, if you are trying to join a mines job but don’t know how to use the equipment and don’t know any of the safety procedures you won’t get very far in that job. Also, it takes a certain education level to enter certain jobs so you understand the basic concepts of what you are doing. Like in farming, you need to know the right growing seasons, how much to water the crops, how to take care of the soil, and have a ton of patience and wait for your crops to grow. All in all, this right would be hard to enforce due to the various problems that can occur if the person isn’t qualified.
Out of the eight rights that FDR has listed, I believe that America has addressed multiple rights. To start, the first right he listed entitled every American citizen to a “useful and remunerative job” that suffices to jobs that involve natural resources or something humans need. I believe that we have achieved this because every American has the right to a job. I believe that every American can get a job and if they can’t, we have social security benefits, halfway homes, and homeless shelters. To those who can’t get a job and rely on social security benefits, this proves that we have addressed right number five. FDR states “the right of every family to a decent home” which we provide with homeless shelters and halfway homes. We have also addressed right number eight, the right to a good education. Public schooling has been a widespread and successful movement where students everywhere have access to public education. Now, is public education a good education? That’s where we don’t exactly know what FDR means by “good” but in my opinion, the fact that young people everywhere have access to schooling is good education. I would say the least likely to enforce or to be economically possible would be rights six and seven which are “The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health” and “The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment” Not everyone in America has healthcare and the government certainly doesn’t have the money to provide free healthcare for all. We’ve dug ourselves into a very large hole when it comes to healthcare. It is a hugely disputed issue. Other countries have provided free healthcare but how does their government spending compare to ours? How much money does their government have? Why has free healthcare not be enacted in America? I’m not super well-versed on the answers to these questions but I believe it would provide the right information to help achieve rights six and seven as they are just as relevant today as they were then.
The second right, “the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;” has been brought up many times since 1944, one example being the minimum wage being changed many times over. The minimum wage, in Michigan alone, has been changed around 19 times, with in 1968-71 it was $1.25, 1972-75: $1.60, 1976-1978: $2.20, 1979: $2.90, 1980: $3.10, 1981-1997: $3.35, 1998-2006: $5.15, then in 2007-2024, it has changed many more times, and it is now at $10.33. Also, the eighth right, “the right to a good education”, has been adopted as a human right in 1948, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since then, the right to education has been developed more by a number of international tools by the United Nations, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966, CESCR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989, CRC), and the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960, CADE).
I think the 5th right, the right of every family to have a decent home, should be addressed by our President or Congress because it doesn’t seem like it can be upheld. This is because many families in our country are homeless, according to endhomelessness.org, adults and children in families make up as high as 30% of the homeless population. I think it could be fixed by either the president or Congress giving out checks, similar to the stimulus checks in 2020 and 2021. This would help at least families in the homeless population get out of their situation and get a step closer to that right of having every family have a decent home.
The first right, the right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation, seems to be one of the least likely to be enforceable apart from the 5th right. I think it would be incredibly hard for the government to make sure that every person would have a useful and helpful job in any one of the jobs listed in the right.
#1) Two of the rights listed in FDR’s Second Bill of Rights have seen attention and attempts at addressing since 1944 “The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health (Number 6)” While the US hasn’t gotten universal healthcare coverage like FDR’s proposed, there have been strides in expanding access to healthcare. The passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 provided healthcare coverage to millions of elderly and low-income Americans. Additionally, the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, expanded access to healthcare through programs such as the Medicaid expansion, which is grants for private insurance, and protections for pre-existing conditions. There’s still debates that discuss the effectiveness of these programs, but they do represent steps toward addressing the right to medical care. Another right is, “The right to a good education (Number 8)” Efforts to provide a good education to all Americans have been ongoing since the mid-20th century. Some examples are the GI Bill, which provided educational opportunities to veterans returning from World War II. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 which was meant to improve educational equity and provide federal funding to schools with low-income students. Overall, seeing as education wasn’t an option for many people in the 1900s vs how accessible it can be it’s seen a large improvement.
#2) “The right to feel financially secure when facing challenges like getting older, getting sick, accidents, or losing a job (Number 7)” needs attention. Even though we have programs like Social Security and Medicare, many people still worry about money, especially when unexpected things happen. The COVID-19 pandemic showed that our current systems might not be enough to help everyone who needs it. Strengthening these programs allows everyone to get the support they need during tough times. This could mean raising the amount of money given to retirees through Social Security so they can cover their living expenses more comfortably. Additionally, we could expand programs like Medicaid to cover more low-income individuals and families, ensuring they have access to affordable healthcare services.
#3) “The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad (Number 4)” seems least likely to be enforceable. This is challenging because, while laws exist to prevent monopoly practices and promote fair competition, achieving complete freedom from unfair competition is difficult. Due to things like globalization, where business may face rivals from different parts of the world with varying costs of production, regulations, and market conditions. There’s also a debate over how much the government should intervene in markets to enforce antitrust laws. We see a lot of these struggles throughout history like how the income inequality was at its highest in the 1920s. Due to this many improvements have been made in breaking trusts but yet again, a century later we see this income inequality at an absurd difference with housing becoming an issue again it seems that even though these were addressed years ago the same problem resurfaces showing that it’s harder to enforce.
1 — America has tried to address rights #2 (right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation), and #7 (adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment). I believe America has tried to help everyone afford basic needs through minimum wage laws and welfare programs such as SNAP, housing vouchers, and child care assistance/tax credits. While we are a long way to achieving the right for all, America has made significant progress in helping citizens reach better standards of living. The United States federal government also tried to address #7 through social security assistance for retirees/disabilities (OASDI), and unemployment (UI). Roosevelt was clearly alluding to Social Security with #7, and citizens can benefit from these programs today. However, we are still far from achieving these rights fo everyone – currently, there is an aging crisis. Social security is facing long-term sustainability issues, because there are less people paying payroll taxes, and more people who are eligible for benefits.
2 — Right #5 (right of every family to a decent home) should be prioritized because it is difficult to achieve other rights like good health and economic security, without having a decent place to stay. Recently, inflation for rents/housing are still increasing dramatically since the pandemic. There is no easy fix that Congress and the President can consider when it comes to housing, but a lot of the current problems stem from a lack of supply, so perhaps incentivizing more home/apartment construction can make it more accessible by lowering prices? They can also consider expanding/reforming housing vouchers and other rent assistance programs already offered.
3 — Right #1 (right to a useful and remunerative job). A ‘right’ to jobs would be most difficult to implement. There wouldn’t be any way the federal government could enforce a private sector right to jobs – there would be a lot of backlash from companies if the government regulates how many people they must employ. People have pitched ideas of a federal job guarantee where the federal government provides job opportunities (kind of like the New Deal and Works Progress Administration), but there are a lot of economic and logistical hurdles to a plan like this.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
One right of these eight that I think has been addressed in some way is the eighth right, “The right to a good education.” I think this because since 1944 education as a whole has been made more available to all people no matter race or sex. One way that I think that this has been done is through the modern-day public school system that is in the United States. It makes education through sixteen years old required for all children, and there are standards that have to be taught and are tested on standardized tests that show improvement in this right of everyone having the right to a good education. A second right that I think has been addressed since 1944 is the seventh, “The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment.” I think that this has been addressed in one way through more insurance programs being available for people in case of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment. These types of programs and insurance don’t solve all problems regarding the economic fears that are stated in that right, but may that have been instituted show that there were some ways that this right has been addressed.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
I think that one of these eight rights that need to be immediately addressed or fixed by Congress and the President is the second right, “the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation.” In the United States in the last 3 years have watched inflation take place and the prices of everything increased at a rapid rate. But, wages did not increase along with prices. This made getting the basic necessities of food and clothing much more difficult while also paying bills and other payments for houses, cars, etc. This made many have to pick up a second or even third job because one wage was not enough “to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation.” This caused many to lose their homes or cars which could have been prevented if they were given a wage that was livable. This is why I believe that our Congress and President need to immediately address the second right, “The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation.”
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
The right that I think is the least likely to be enforceable is the fourth right, “The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad.” This is because making a change to the world of business in the United States to make this right a reality would change the entire business industry. You would have to make changes to how much power huge businesses have over small companies and changes would have to be made to make all businesses have equal power in competition and trade. This could be extremely difficult in a society like we have in the United States where money and wealth have so much of an impact on the amount of power a person or business has. Changes would have to be made to the system as a whole which I believe makes the fourth right, “The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad” the least likely to enforce.
One right that was addressed shortly after F.D.R. gave his speech was the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment. Just one year after his speech, Roosevelt passed the Social Security Act, creating a tax that would be used to give a retirement stipend and unemployment insurance. This made people more confident to retire and helped everyone recover from the recent Great Depression. Another right that was addressed after 1944 was the right for every businessman to be able to trade freely without worry of monopoly. The Cellar-Kefauver Act passed by President Truman strengthened the Clayton Antitrust Act to break up new monopolies and trusts. This gave businesses more freedom when trading and security from being bought out by larger corporations or large price cuts they couldn’t compete with.
I think that the right of every family to have a decent house needs to be addressed. In 2023 over 650k people were homeless, about .2% of the population. That may seem relatively low, but the count was conducted in one single night, meaning many homeless may have found shelter or been out of sight on that night. This homeless issue not only affects the people who suffer from it, but it also affects the general public. Hostile architecture is often the solution to keeping homeless people out of an area. This makes the area less comfortable for everyone. Homeless people are also more likely to be involved in violent crime, about 60% of all homeless committing a violent crime at some point. This is often out of necessity or fear of others and could be solved by creating more affordable housing and a healthier economy.
I think that the right to protection from economic fears of old age, sickness, injury, and unemployment would be difficult to accomplish as an accepted right. Specifically, I think that protections that come with sickness or injury can be easily exploited. Unemployment can also be abused sometimes by people who are not willing to work. Making protections from these things a right would allow the entire nation to abuse them. Faking injury and sickness is relatively easy, so giving ultimate protection from these things by the government would allow people to not work but still make money. Stronger universal unemployment insurance may also result in abuse by those who can make it seem like they are looking for work but don’t.
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that challenged the segregation of public schools based on race. While the case itself did not explicitly address a “right to a good education,” it was fundamentally about the right to equal educational opportunities, which is closely related to the broader concept of a right to a good education. In the early 1950s, racial segregation was still widespread in many aspects of American life, including public schools. The landmark case brown vs Board of Education changed racial segregation in public schools. The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, ruled that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students were unconstitutional. The Court held that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” and that segregation of public schools based on race violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. While the case did not explicitly use the language of a “right to a good education,” the principle underlying the decision was that every child has a right to an equal and quality education, regardless of their race. By declaring segregation in schools unconstitutional, the Court affirmed that all children should have access to the same educational opportunities and resources.
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation is a fundamental aspect of economic security and well-being. While this specific right may not have been explicitly made in the way we might see in some legal documents, various policies, and initiatives have aimed to address the underlying principles of this right since 1944. One of the most direct ways this right has been addressed is through minimum wage laws. Since the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which established the federal minimum wage, there have been numerous increases to the minimum wage to ensure that workers are paid enough to cover basic needs like food, clothing, and recreation. Various social safety net programs have been put in place to assist individuals and families who may struggle to earn enough to meet basic needs. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program also known as food stamps assists low-income individuals and families to purchase food. This helps ensure access to adequate nutrition. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides cash assistance to low-income families with children. It is intended to help families cover basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing. Programs like Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing initiatives help low-income individuals and families access affordable housing, freeing up more income for other needs like food and clothing. The Occupational Safety and Health Act, and Family and Medical Leave Act, are different acts that ensure workers can earn enough to provide for their families.
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad; needs to be enforced in the government. There are many monopolies in dominant industries right now. For example, Amazon, Google, and Facebook have monopolized online services. This should be addressed because these companies have so much control over our lives. Amazon’s dominance has stifled competition, making it challenging for smaller retailers to compete on price and visibility. Some sellers on Amazon have raised concerns about unfair practices, such as Amazon promoting its products over third-party sellers or using seller data to develop competing products. Google’s overwhelming share of the search market can lead to concerns about biased search results or favoritism towards its products and services. Google’s advertising platform is so dominant that it can be difficult for businesses to reach audiences without using Google Ads, which may lead to higher advertising costs. Facebook has had controversies related to data privacy and the handling of user information, raising concerns about how personal data is used and protected. The spread of misinformation and the impact of algorithms on the content users see have raised questions about the role of Facebook in shaping public opinion.
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment encompasses the concept of social security and various social safety net programs. In the United States, this right is enforced through a combination of federal programs, laws, and regulations designed to provide financial support and protection for individuals and families facing economic hardship due to these circumstances. The cornerstone of this right in the U.S. is the Social Security Administration, which administers several programs: Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance, Commonly known as Social Security, this program provides retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. Workers pay into Social Security through payroll taxes, and upon reaching retirement age, they receive benefits based on their earnings history. This is a federal health insurance program primarily for people aged 65 and older, as well as certain younger individuals with disabilities. Medicare helps cover healthcare costs, including hospital stays, doctor visits, and prescription drugs. Supplemental Security Income provides cash assistance to low-income individuals who are aged 65 or older, blind, or disabled. It helps meet basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing.
1. The right to a good education has been addressed since 1944. An example of how it has been addressed is shown through the ESEA Act. This act authorized for the first time in America that “no child be left behind”. This act ensured that every child would be taught in schools to the highest educational standards and prepare them for the possibility of college after high school. Attending university after finishing your high school education became an expectation and not some majestic wonder. The second right I think has been addressed is the right to a job. Although we as a country and the world all collectively went through the COVID-19 pandemic which caused devastating amounts of unemployment, we’ve recovered somewhat. Because of the pandemic, job employment has been a prime focus in America to ensure that we don’t regress as a society in that aspect. Specific job forces have increased since the pandemic. Examples are counselors and therapists, since the pandemic we’ve had a record high of depression and anxiety rates in our people. This is just one example of how the pandemic effects have increased some job opportunities.
2. I think making enough to provide enough food, clothing, and recreation is a right every human should have. A lot of issues in America stem from not making enough money. Many people who are homeless end up in their situation because they can’t afford the cost of living nor can they afford to provide for any kids they might have. The lack of money and financial stability can or will lead to physical and mental health risks and a lowering in their overall quality of life. If we want to improve the morale of our country and lessen homelessness, poverty, food, and financial insecurity we need to take action and make sure our people in the workforce can gain enough to take care of themselves and their families. We live in a capitalistic society and the reality of this is that money is the basis to survival and livelihood in America and many other countries.
3. The right of every businessman large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad I think would be the least likely to be enforced. This would drastically negatively affect the stock market and cause it to crash, this would make it so people would most likely lose all their money invested in the market. Yes, employment rates would increase for the small businesses they would eventually fail, then pick up again, then fail again. The reason why large businesses thrive is because of the dominance they have over small businesses. On paper this idea sounds good, but it could never work in reality. For small businesses to become as successful as large businesses and corporations they need to work their way up, earn the skills, and gain experience.
1.) Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
Number 7 addresses the right to economic protection due to many circumstances such as unemployment, disability, and old age. Roosevelt passed the Social Security Act in 1935 to grant economic stability to those who became unemployed through no fault of their own actions such as being laid off. It is important to understand; however, that unemployment benefits are only temporary as the basic program provides up to 26 weeks of a portion of the recipients pay usually about half. If you are unable to work due to either your physical or mental state, then you would qualify for disability benefits. Disability benefits cover a person who is unable to do basic work-related activities such as lifting, standing, sitting, or remembering. This must inhibit a person’s ability to work for at least 12 months for them to qualify for disability benefits. When you decide to retire, depending on your age, you also will receive money from social security. Social security allows you to retire as early as 62; however, your benefits will be reduced and you can only get the full benefits at 65. Number 2 addresses the right to earn enough to afford enough food and clothing. In Michigan, there is no sales tax on food, water, or clothing as they are deemed essential items that everyone must have access to. On top of that, food stamps are available through the SNAP programme. Food stamps allow low or no income families to purchase certain foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, dairy products, breads, and cereals. The family will receive a plastic card similar to a debit or credit card and can use it at participating SNAP grocery stores and farmers markets.
2.) Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
The right to a decent home. As of January of 2023, 1 in every 500 Americans were experiencing homelessness which is 666.600 people. Longer time spent without a home is linked to higher levels of mental disorders and can even lead to coping methods like the use of substances. Being homeless also exposes people to serious health risks.
3.) Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
I personally believe that we have been fulfilling all the necessary major rights on this list; however, improvement can always be made. When seeing the rights listed many people would be inclined to say that in order to make healthcare available to everyone, universal healthcare is needed; however, many people don’t take into consideration where the government funding for such a sector would come from. In most countries that have universal healthcare such as Canada, taxes are what pays for it. As we know, Americans are not a fan of high taxes. Some may also argue that the rich should just be taxed to account for the wealth disparity although this as well is not a viable solution. If the rich start to be taxed a lot they will simply leave and move somewhere else where they are taxed less as they have the money and means to do so. Even if the funding for universal healthcare was somehow recuperated, there is no stopping corrupt government officials from taking the money similarly to what is happening in Russia. In Russia, the government is both diverting the money away from healthcare and corrupt government officials who are in charge of that sector are leeching off of its funds which is making even common medicines unavailable. Some may also argue that universal healthcare is cheaper than the current healthcare system but this is blatantly false. Someone I know had to pay $10.000 for a surgery here in the U.S. My aunt paid that much in Canada when buying her car as sales tax added to the price of the car and she did not receive any treatment for those $10.000. Knowing that Canadian healthcare is generally more expensive than American healthcare between the high income tax and 13% sales tax in Ontario on everything (which includes food. A singular cucumber costs $5) you’d think that the quality of Canadian healthcare would be better than that of American healthcare. It simply is not. My aunt’s father (who lives in Ottawa, the capital) had a stroke and was taken to the hospital. Upon arriving, no one was able to give him immediate attention as there was a very long line and most of the people in it had simple ailments such as headaches or colds. He waited hours while having a stroke to see a nurse. He was eventually admitted into a room but because it was a Sunday, there was no cardiologist on staff (in Canada cardiologists only work 9 – 5 and not on Sundays if you have a heart problem during those times, too bad. My grandma suffered the same fate when she had a heart attack late at night). During the course of the night, my aunt’s dad had over 50 miniature strokes and by the morning when a cardiologist could see him, he was paralyzed from the waist down. If you have the audacity to say that this is only one incident and is not common then you are simply wrong. I have had multiple family members have issues with the healthcare system in Canada and we are not the only ones. Countries like England which have similar systems are not any better. Another startling fact is that it takes 5 years for a knee replacement in Canada and 10 years for a hip replacement. There is a literal waiting list. In the U.S. the average waiting time for a knee replacement is 4-6 weeks while the maximum waiting time for a hip replacement is 18 weeks.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
One of the rights listed that our nation has addressed and I’d argue done decently well at is the right to a good education. From the moment Horace Mann worked to make public education more widely available to where society stands now, we can see the progress we have made in making education available to most and making that education of decent quality. At least a basic education became required throughout the U.S. around the 1910s in order for most people to go in the world with a general understanding of society and other concepts. However, with that said, a basic quality of education is expected yet not guaranteed. We see recently in Florida with bills banning what can be taught (reflecting the Scopes Monkey Trial) continue to arise today. Another right I believe we have made great progress on is the right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing and recreation. The creation and spread of a minimum wage throughout the country allowed for workers to have a set amount they legally could earn and while the amount is not nearly enough to feed or take care of a family. It provides a bit for people trying to earn a living.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment is a right I believe we should continue working harder to achieve. Even in our society now insurance never tends to be that helpful for the people who truly need it. There is always some condition or requirement companies use to get out of paying for accidents that may happen and I feel we need to regulate the more scammy aspects of these companies that people can tend to fall into.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
As much as I wish it was, the right to adequate medical care, while partially achieved, does not seem likely to improve anytime soon. I feel it is very possible, but in the U.S. specifically lawmakers seem to stray away from the concept and higher taxes or other solutions to achieve universal free healthcare are very unpopular and seem unlikely.
I think that America has addressed several of the eight rights that FDR listed. He began by stating that every American citizen was entitled to a “useful and remunerative job”—that is, a job that sufficiently involves natural resources or something that we humans need. We have succeeded, in my opinion, because every American is entitled to employment. Every American, in my opinion, is capable of finding employment; if not, there are social security payments, halfway houses, and homeless shelters available. This demonstrates to individuals who are unemployed and dependent on social security benefits that we have addressed point number five correctly. We fulfill FDR’s “every family’s right to a decent home” by offering halfway houses and homeless shelters. The right to a quality education, or right number eight, has also been discussed. With the widespread and successful public schooling movement, all students now have access to public education. Is education in public schools now of high quality? We’re not quite sure what FDR meant by “good” education in this context, but I believe that having access to education for young people worldwide qualifies as a good education. The rights to “adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health” and “the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment,” which are rights six and seven, are, in my opinion, the least likely to be economically feasible or enforced. In America, not everyone has access to healthcare, and the government most definitely lacks the funds to offer free healthcare to everyone. In terms of healthcare, we’ve dug ourselves a very deep hole. It is a hotly debated topic. While free healthcare has been offered in other nations, how much does their government spend in comparison to ours? How much money is in the hands of their government? Why has America not implemented universal healthcare? Although I’m not very knowledgeable about the answers to these questions, I think they would offer the necessary information to support the realization of rights six and seven, which are still as important now as they were back then.
Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
One right that has been addressed multiple times over the years is the right to education, with perhaps the most important milestone being the major Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education (1954). This ensured all students’ right to the same facilities regardless of race, and, while there was significant backlash and difficulties that went along with it, it was a huge step in the right direction. Additionally, future policies such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act ensured further rights for groups that were originally at a disadvantage. While the education system is nowhere near perfect currently, there have been a lot of steps forward since 1944. Another right that the United States government has attempted to fix is aid to the elderly. After the Social Security Act’s enactment in 1935, further attempts such as amendments in 1950, 1960, and 1977 have been made to broaden its reach and help more Americans in need. All in all, while a lot more work still needs to be done, steps have been taken to reach FDR’s goals.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
I believe the right stating that every American is entitled to decent housing is the most crucial to address immediately. With about one in 500 Americans experiencing homelessness, it certainly impacts enough people to push it to the forefront of consideration. It would take approximately 11-30 billion U.S dollars per year to end homelessness in the country, as estimated by Scioto Analysis. If this figure is to be believed, it is shocking how little effort the nation has put in to solve this problem. Considering that 877 billion dollars were poured into the military in 2022, according to Statista, homelessness should be an issue our government is eager to fix. With the widespread criminalization of homelessness and the stigma surrounding it, Americans facing such struggles need help as soon as possible, and the nation would greatly benefit from a president’s dedication to lending a hand.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
Whilst incredibly important, the right to earn enough to provide sufficient food, clothing, and recreation seems hard to enforce. Though, with enough laws in place, such a thing could exist, it seems almost impossible that any legislation like this would be paid enough attention to cause any dramatic shift. If more taxes on the top earners were enacted, the wealthiest Americans would not be likely to want to redistribute wealth in any way. These taxes would almost certainly be dodged or avoided in some way, leaving the nation in the exact same predicament as before. According to a LinkedIn article by Scott Olster, it would take about $177 billion dollars to bring every American above the poverty line. While that number might seem relatively small when compared to other U.S expenses, Olster also mentions a myriad of ways in which such a stride could go wrong. While the author remains optimistic, those concerns must be taken into consideration when examining whether or not such policies would be easily implemented.
Out of the 8 rights FDR listed number 7, the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment was in some way addressed with the gradual expansion of social security. New programs throughout the years have been created and the years between 1935 to 1972 have been years of major development. Disability insurance was added in 1956 and Medicare/Medicaid was added in 1965. In 1972, Automatic Cost of Living Adjustments were introduced which made sure that social security recipients had their benefits indexed to inflation.
The most important one that needs to be immediately addressed is number 4. A graph by the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that now only 20% of new businesses last. This can be easily explained by the large companies like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and others making it extremely difficult for new entrepreneurs to enter the market and thrive. What this can lead to is a reduction in new entrepreneurs which is what our country depends on to stay at the top economically. Living in one of the poorest areas of our nation, West Virginia, I saw the destruction to many families that came with the introduction of these big-box stores that crushed smaller shops and businesses. Smaller companies and businesses can be very beneficial for the middle class to keep economic independence from the large corporations so we don’t just work to pay the oligarchs that are heads of these corporations.
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing and recreation would be very hard to implement. The way I interpret what FDR meant would be something like a Universal Basic Income, where everyone gets a basic amount of money that keeps them alive in addition to the money they get from work. This would be first, very hard to get through congress and second, it would be disastrous to the economy. To fund it we would have to implement an extremely huge and unpopular progressive tax, take funding from other programs, or deficit spend. None of these methods are very popular with people and most hurt us more than they help us.
1. Out of the eight new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least two and explain how our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights.
Out of the 8 rights listed above, the two rights our country has attempted to address are the right to education and the right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation. The United States of America addressed the right to education in multiple acts that improved education, such as the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act of 1946, which funded school meals through the National School Lunch Program, or the National Defense Education Act of 1958, which authorized student loans and provided funding for math, science, and foreign language instruction, among other things. However, one of the more important acts was the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which provided vast federal funding to elementary and secondary education, along with the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, which attempted to fight racial segregation in schools by declaring that school officials’s responsibility is to provide equal learning opportunities regardless of race, gender, and nationality. For the second right, I’ve mentioned the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing for recreation. The United States of America has raised the federal minimum wage numerous times up to 2009, with states raising it more recently, such as Michigan, which last raised the minimum wage in 2024 to 10.30 dollars per hour. This steady increase in the minimum wage was to keep up with the right to earn enough to provide necessities by increasing the minimum income for minimum wage workers.
2. Which of these eight rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
A right that should be immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President is the right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad. This should be fixed because of the amount of control some companies have over their markets. For instance, four companies own 70% of flights within the United States, as well as Google, handles 60% of internet searches, among other examples, three companies own 80% of mobile telecoms, according to Forbes. This vast control of the market by monopolies can have a plethora of negative effects, including but not limited to decreased competition, driving down competition, inefficiencies, and higher prices due to a lack of competition.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment, seems like part of it might be least likely to be enforceable or to make an economic right due to the nature of old age. Old age is the natural path of life making it hard to stop as well as making it hard to fund to stop. Furthermore the right to protection from accidents can be susceptible to things like insurance fraud where people intentionally harm themselves to gain a profit if the protection from accidents would be economically funded. Moreover unemployment can sometimes be a complicated matter to create economic protection for due to how unemployment can stem from an unwell economy, and can create inflation if used in certain ways such as stimulus checks.
The 2nd right, the right to earn an adequate income, has been addressed with the creation of a minimum wage, which was also something that FDR implemented during his time in office. In fact, that policy was put into motion six years before the Second Bill of Rights speech and has been expanded on ever since. In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act was adopted, which was created due to an effort to protect workers in the post-depression economy and was the first national attempt at a minimum wage. Since then, the minimum wage has been raised nationally many times, and is currently $7.25 cents, although 29 states have a higher minimum wage. The right to a living wage is constantly revised on both a national and state level, making it the most addressed right from the Second Bill of Rights. Another right that has been addressed is the right to education. This right has been regarded as one of the most crucial foundations of the United States since the start, as most political figures realize the importance of educating youth and the effect that a good education has on future generations. While there has not been a compulsory education law on a national scale, all 50 states have their own versions of education laws. For example, in Michigan, children ages 6-16 are required to attend school throughout the whole school year (with exceptions). Other important laws regarding education have been passed, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in public schools. However, while progress has been made regarding education, the definition of a “good education” is vague and still is not protected on a national level.
The right to a decent home is something that can be immediately fixed by our government. Approximately 653,104 (1 in 500 Americans) were homeless in 2023, and this number only grows as the population grows and no steps are taken to help on a national level. While it’s unrealistic to ask the government to provide housing for every single person in need, there are still achievable steps that can be taken to work towards this goal. For example, Texas has many options for affordable housing, such as homeless shelters, transitional housing, group homes, boarding homes, and more, some of which could be adopted by the national government as an effort to put an end to homelessness. If the government was to provide funding to ensure the right to a decent home, thousands of Americans could be more secure and be guaranteed livable conditions, which is an important liberty that all Americans should be able to enjoy. All in all, this right from the Second Bill of Rights is extremely important, as it’s impractical for the United States to help other countries and fulfill its goal of protection as a world power while still having so much poverty and homelessness in our own country.
The 4th right, the right to trade free of unfair competition and monopolies, seems to be the hardest to enforce on a national scale. It’s clear that some laws have been passed on this subject, specifically to protect from trusts and monopolies, but not enough has been done to protect everyone. In recent years, big companies like Amazon have dominated markets and caused hardship for small business owners. It seems obvious that Amazon is unfair competition to smaller businesses in all sectors, yet nothing has successfully been done to stop them or other companies that are dominating the market. This is because separating “unfair” competition from “fair” competition is an extremely subjective job that is almost impossible to carry out. It’s likely that this 4th right will never be fully secured, especially due to the power that big companies hold over the economy and over individuals. Despite that, the need for reform in this area is evident, and although it will not be easy, it is important that steps are taken to at least attempt to secure free trade for all businesses.
I think number seven has been addressed in some ways. For example, social security can allow older people to live a more comfortable life, including access to Medicare, which removes the healthcare burden. Poor people have access to Medicaid to alleviate issues with healthcare and unemployment benefits to alleviate the lack of an income. I think six has partially been achieved with Obamacare. I believe this to be the case because Obamacare has allowed more people to have health insurance, people with preexisting conditions can not be denied coverage, you can stay on your parents healthcare plan until twenty-six, etc. Same with number two. I think it has been attempted through the adoption of a federal minimum wage so Americans are at least guaranteed some amount of money per hour.
I think six should be further addressed. Obamacare was a step in the right direction, but I think a single-payer system should be adopted in the US. Most developing countries have a single-payer healthcare system that covers everyone, so I don’t see why the richest country in the world should not adopt a similar system. Some developing countries, such as Cuba, even have a single-payer system.
I think number four would be the hardest to both pass and strictly enforce. The reason why is corporations constantly lobby politicians to serve their interests. I don’t think a politician would like to break a monopoly, no matter how unfair it is, if the politician is getting paid lots of money from the same corporation. I think corruption, in a general sense, would hamper this a lot. I do agree with the breaking of unfair monopolies in the market, and I do agree with the idea of the policy, but practically speaking it seems like the effectiveness of such a policy would not be very great. Politicians are constantly being bribed by these big corporations to avoid punishment, so I don’t see why this would just not be another case of that general theme. If there was a way to strongly limit potential corruption, then a policy like this would be much more effective, but until then, I don’t see a strong practicality of a policy like this even if, ethically, I do agree with it.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights.
I believe #2, the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation, and #8, the right to a good education, have both been addressed, or have been attempted to be addressed, by our government. They have attempted to addressed right #2 by putting labor laws regarding minimum wage in place, though this wage isn’t enough to live ‘adequately’ in many places. Currently, the U.S. minimum wage is 7.25, but it can be higher depending on the state. Regarding #8, our government has also put compulsory education laws in place, making it so children have to attend some form of schooling, though the specific ages can vary a bit per state.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
#5, the right of every family to a decent home, should be immediately addressed by our government. While the wording of this right isn’t the best, as ‘family’ should be changed to ‘person’ and debate can rise from what the true definition of ‘decent’ is, it’s still something that needs to be addressed. You see, in January of 2023 The Department of Housing and Urban Development counted there to be 653,104 homeless Americans, that’s 1 in every 500. This has been a problem for so long, but it has gotten much worse in recent years.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right? Why?
I think that #1, the right to a useful and remunerative job, would be the least likely or at least the hardest to make an economic right. While everyone does have the right to apply for a job, or work towards a position, the wording of this right makes it seem as if it would require employers to have positions, and not to mention the debate over what qualifies as a ‘useful’ job.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
The 7th right, the right to financial security in old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment has been addressed with Social Security and the development of the Social Security Act. The Social security act was passed in 1935 to provide economic security to many people and specifically people who are older. Survivor benefits were added later in 1939 and it has since been developed to include disability benefits in 1956. The tax rate for social security has also increased over the years and is now 6.2%. The 2nd right, the right to earn enough to provide adequate necessities, has been addressed by minimum wage which was an idea introduced in 1938 that instituted a federal minimum wage. This 2nd economic right has continued to be addressed by raising the minimum wage to ensure that a person has enough to live by and survive.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
I think healthcare is a thing that needs to be addressed. Obamacare was a really good step towards totally achieving this 6th right but it has not fully fixed health care. An issue with Obamacare is that you have to be within a range to apply for it. Healthcare is never free, whether that is paid for through employment or in taxes like in other countries, the right to healthcare is not guaranteed. Some people can’t pay for it, especially in the United States, which shows that it doesn’t apply to everyone and it is not a given right to all.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
I think the 4th right is the hardest to enforce and make possible because a constant throughout history is how people are greedy. It might not be as far as ‘greedy’ but a value in America and with American capitalism is that people are continuously looking to move up and are always trying to make more money. There are laws to stop unfair trade and competition, and monopolies, going all the way back to Teddy Roosevelt and trust breaking. But things like insider trading and monopolies still happen. For example, look at the size of Amazon and how widespread it is; it is comparable to Standard Oil in the past.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
The two rights that I think have been addressed in some way are rights 2 and 8. First, the second right I feel has made improvements in the recent past. The COVID pandemic laid off millions of people. This was a time period when it was hard to achieve this right, but after the pandemic, more jobs are opening. Additionally, some jobs have had increased wages. One example of a job with increased wages is demolition in houses. I’m sure that not everyone makes this amount of money, but I heard from a contractor that he was trying to hire some guys to demo a project that was asking for $35 per hour. This is more than enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation. The second right that I feel has made improvements is right number 8. Number 8 has made improvements because everyone across the United States has access to schools. If you are a minor, then there are free public schools all over. You will have access to these schools unless you live in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. In most places, these public schools will provide at least a decent education for people who are willing to take in information. Some crazy states in the USA have questionable curriculums. These states don’t stop people from the right to a good education because if you really want an education that is good, you can move to a better sport for schools. If you are an adult, you can also get a good education by attending one of the hundreds of universities across the country. There are also ways to go to colleges and universities for free or lower cost if you can’t afford tuition.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
Right 4 should be fixed by the government. Everyone knows there are two huge brands of sodas: Coke and Pepsi. These two companies dominate the soda market, and other companies that try to get their product sold usually struggle. Most restaurants either sell Pepsi products or Coke products. The largeness of these two companies blocks out smaller companies from getting to the same popularity. There are probably sodas that are better than Coke or Pepsi, but people don’t know about them. To make the soda beverage business more competitive and fair, the government should make regulations.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
Right number 7 feels the least likely to be enforced. It is almost impossible, if not impossible, to protect someone from fear of being old, sick, or jobless. There are just too many ways for people to experience these fears for them to be fixed. If one big situation was causing all of the possible fears, then maybe there could be a solution. Regardless, there are many factors causing fear, and there is no way for all people to be protected from fear.
Right Number 7, “The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;” has been addressed in other ways since 1944 through healthcare, insurance and savings accounts. People who have healthcare, get most of their costs covered when they get in an accident or are sick. The same is with insurance that can help in accidents and covers many costs for people. Savings accounts also help people who manage their money in smart ways when they are older from economic problems. Also, Right Number 2, “The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;” has been addressed by the government by increasing the minimum wage in many states. “The right to a good education”, was also introduced with Affirmative Action, but has been retracted.
The first right I believe that the government should address is “The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation”. This would guarantee that everyone would be employed and there would be less people who are homeless. Everyone would be able to afford basic necessities and with the growth of unions, people would have probably advocated that jobs take care of healthcare and other necessities. This would drive unemployment away and would bring a sense of security to the American people and would give businesses less control over their workers and people.
I think the Right that makes the least sense and seems the least possible to be enforced is the Fifth Law; “The right of every family to a decent home;”. This seems economically impossible because due to the large population the demand for housing would go up and the houses for sale will decrease. Even if the government sets in plans to build houses that will take far too long and the prices will be driven up due to the high demand. This would also bring civil unrest due to people being desperate for housing and wanting to be the first ones to own a home. Also, it is hard to know how many people are homeless/in need of housing at a specific time and even if there was a place to sign up to get housing not everyone would do that or be aware of these stations.
In his attempt at guaranteeing economic freedom to all American civilians, in the second Bill of Rights, Franklin Roosevelt has set high expectations for the US government. Since the time this program was written, in 1944, out of the 8 rights he listed, I think the right to earn enough and the right to a good public education have been addressed the most. Since 1944, multiple acts or laws have been established to help workers earn enough money to provide for their needs and recreations, while guaranteeing their rights and safety in labor. An exemple of this is the minimum wage established at $7.25 per hour as a federal law, and Michigan being at $10.33. Regarding the right to a good public education, I think there has been lots of progress made between giving more funds to educational branches in state governments and more schools being opened. With this, the system is not perfect, with some people not having access to good or even any level of education. The system also has major flaws at the university level, where attending a good level university and earning a good degree became out of reach because of the high price tag on universities. One of the rights mentioned that I think should be immediately addressed by the president and/or government is the right to medical care and good health, since so little is being spent in this department. Although Obama already addressed it during his presidency, I think much more of the governmental funds should be spent towards guaranteeing good healthcare for everyone, at a decent price, instead of spending over $800 billion in military programs like in 2023. I think that of all the eight rights listed by Roosevelt, the right to all businessmen to trade in an atmosphere of freedom, without unfair competition is the hardest and most unlikely to be solved, as the US society and business is always pushing for more individual gains, capitalism being the base of the economy. In fact, with capitalism being seen as so important and protected by the American people, I think any policy to try to limit monopolies would be very hard to pass and criticized a lot.
We see that America has tried to address the two rights; #1 The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation, and unemployment. Also #8 The right to a good education. With the first right, we really saw it to try and be revived during and after COVID. While the world was entirely unprepared for COVID, America was definitely no exception to its effects. As it experienced a mass influx of unemployment, lots of people were laid off and couldn’t find jobs. A solution that was signed into legislation was the American Rescue Plan. Which was an attempt to try and fix the massive unemployment with creating new jobs so people could try and become employed again. This act added over seven million jobs to try and help the American economy. Then with the right to a good education, we see that the availability of education has opened up to many more people than before. As it was rather limited to certain groups and classes of people. Now we see a more diverse range of people being able to go to school. Not only just highschool, now lots more people have the opportunity to further their education by going to college or other educational facilities.
I believe that the 6th right should be the one to be immediately fixed. The sixth right stated is the one about adequate and affordable health care. While certain trials and tries have been done to try and help it, healthcare and insurance is still staggeringly expensive and unaffordable for the average American that doesn’t always get insurance from their employers. A little over half of Americans struggle to afford their healthcare. Which obviously reveals a problem from within if many aren’t able to afford a thing that keeps them healthy. The average price for a day at the hospital is almost three thousand dollars, which is very unreasonable for an average American salary. So many rely on insurance to cover the majority of the expenses when it comes to unexpected injuries and illnesses. But if insurance is too expensive, many are forced into debt but also many are forced to suffer the consequences of not receiving medical attention. Everyone deserves adequate healthcare and no one should be struggling with the fact that they might not be able to afford it for themselves or other family members like their children or spouse.
I believe that the least likely economic right to be enforced would be “the right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;” America is very dependent on trading with native and international businesses. Take Nationwide for example, it would be extremely difficult to try and control big corporations to try and give smaller businesses a better chance in the competition. Especially because big companies control a big portion of America’s economy because of how much we rely on them. While in a perfect moral world, it would be great for smaller businesses to get the recognition they deserve, but big businesses will continue to dominate without anything to step in to stop it. Which is why it is very unrealistic that anything will happen because of how much these businesses support the American economy. Then internationally you can’t really control what other countries decide to do about their businesses and how they do it. So the unfair competition from international businesses becomes very hypothetical and unfeasible.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
I think two rights that have been addressed in some way since 1944 are the right to a good education and the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation. The right to a good education has been addressed multiple times. Specifically, there have been multiple legislative measures that addressed the educational disadvantages based on race, income, or disability. First, in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, the court ruled separating children in public schools based on race was unconstitutional. It led to the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States and overruled the “separate but equal”principle in 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson. This decision gave more opportunities to African Americans and helped them receive the same resources, facilities, and quality of education that white people had. This was a step to help get rid of systematic racism, integrate schools, and promote everyone to have as equal education as possible. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) also helped people have the right to a good education. Through the federal funding program, Title 1, ESEA helped low-income students and schools by providing resources for them. It was made to get rid of the skill gap in reading, writing, and math between kids from low-income households who attend urban or rural schools and kids in the middle class who go to suburban school systems. The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation has been addressed as well. The pay gap between men and women was finally addressed in 1963. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 aimed to get rid of wage disparities based on gender by requiring equal pay for equal work. This supported women in being able to afford basic necessities like food, clothes, and more. However, there are still biases against women in many fields of work after this act and even up to today. Some employers have prejudices and stereotypes and would rather hire a man than a woman for some jobs.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
I think The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation should be immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President. According to Forbes Advisor, “78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a 6% increase from the previous year. In other words, more than three-quarters of Americans struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses.” Most Americans have trouble having enough money or savings to enjoy times of recreation. However, it’s not recreation that’s the main issue. According to debt.org, 11.5 percent of residents of the U.S. are considered to be in poverty. That is 37.9 million people who may have trouble putting food on the table or providing enough clothes while working 9-5 jobs. Although some people are doing fine for being considered in poverty, most aren’t. Demanding jobs like firefighting and being a waiter pay very little and contribute to many families struggling to keep supporting their families and paying bills. I think for a start, the minimum wage should be raised for some southern states specifically for waiters. Some waiters get paid as little as around 2 dollars an hour but get tips added to their wages. However, relying on tips isn’t ideal and some people may walk out of a long day with less than 20 bucks.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
I think the right that is least likely to be enforceable is that every American family has the right to a decent home. There are tons of factors that go into this and sometimes it just comes down to luck. Some people are put in positions to succeed financially at birth while some may have to work extremely hard and may not even end up having what’s considered a decent home. Also if everyone had the right to a decent home then that would lead to less productivity in the economy because the people living without a so-called decent home would not feel the need to work harder. I do think that some jobs like engineering that are considered harder than retail or food-related jobs should deserve to get better homes.
https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/education/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-of-1965/
https://www.eeoc.gov/history/equal-pay-act-1963#:~:text=To%20prohibit%20discrimination%20on%20account,production%20of%20goods%20for%20commerce.
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/brown-v-board-of-education#:~:text=In%20this%20milestone%20decision%2C%20the,1896%20Plessy%20v.%20Ferguson%20case.
https://www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/poverty-united-states/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20is%20considered,its%20residents%20live%20in%20poverty.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/living-paycheck-to-paycheck-statistics-2024/#:~:text=A%202023%20survey%20conducted%20by,paying%20for%20their%20monthly%20expenses.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
Out of the 8 rights listed, I think that number 5, the right of every family to a decent home, and number 8, the right to a good education are the two most prominently addressed since 1944. With the fifth right listed, WW2 caused a sudden increase in domestic housing construction and led to the growth of new suburban areas and housing programs for declining urban areas, thanks to the Housing Act of 1949. This act provided power over how federal financial resources would shape and increase the growth of American cities. Through the 1950s, federal involvement in housing only increased, and extended to federally finance construction, preservation, and renewal. As for number 8, the right to a good education, in 1940, about 73% of Americans were enrolled in high school. The 1940 United States census states that about 132,164,569 people were living in America during that time, so based on this percentage, roughly 96,480,135 people attended high school. In comparison, in 2021, an estimated 17.3 million people were attending high school, along with 16.6 million undergraduate students, and 4.6 million graduate students. As seen with this data, it’s become easier to attend public schools and have access to a higher education afterward since the early 1900s, and not only that, but it has become mandatory in states for people to attend school from kindergarten to the 12th grade. Because of this, I think that the 5th and 8th rights listed are some of the most addressed since 1944.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
I think the second right, the right to earn enough to provide adequate food clothing, and recreation, is a right that should be immediately addressed by Congress and/or the president. Recently, the inflation rate in the United States for 2022 was 8.00%, which is a 3.3% increase from 2021. Going back further, the inflation rate for 2021 was 4.70%, a 3.46% increase from 2020. Meanwhile, wages increased 4.3 percent in 2023 and increased 5.1 percent in 2022. Because of this, for many, it is increasingly difficult to pay for adequate food clothing, and recreation, which is why I chose the second right for this question.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable/possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
The right that is the least likely to be enforced or possible to accomplish is the fourth right, (The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad.) This is because while employment rates would increase, and for a time small businesses as well, it would go through ups and downs that in the long run would not be beneficial. The stock market would also run the risk of crashing, causing many to lose their money if they invested. Overall, while some elements of each right, including this one, have been implemented into society today, this right would be the least beneficial or nearest to impossible to enforce.
I think that the right to a good education, number eight, has been addressed in some ways since 1944 in the sense that we have public schools and lots of resources for all kids no matter what social status they are living in at the moment. In 1954, the landmark case of Brown vs Board of Education declared it unconstitutional for African Americans to be segregated and not allowed into “white” public schools. This case was a big step in education because it allowed African Americans to have equal opportunities for good education as white Americans. Another right would be number two, which states the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation. We have seen this through minimum wages that have been made and through the minimum amount that a family should be making a year. The minimum salary for a year federally is technically $15,000. This is because the federal minimum wage is $7.25, and in Michigan, it is $10.33.
I think that as of right now, the right of every family to a decent home should be addressed. Every day, I see homeless people and people living in poverty. Currently, about 1 in every 500 Americans is homeless, and approximately 41.89 million people are living under the poverty line(according to a 2022 census). The amount of people living in poverty right now is approximately 13 percent of the United States population. With numbers this big of such an important issue, congress and the president should be dressing this and addressing how to provide these people with the resources they need to live a healthy life.
I think that the right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad seems to be the least likely to be enforceable. Many companies take advantage of small companies and have the upper hand because of their size. It is common to see bigger companies stealing designs of smaller companies and selling them for a lower price because they have more resources than the smaller companies. I think that it is difficult to enforce this because the bigger companies and monopolies will always have the upper hand because of their immense resources and their higher status.
1. Two of the economic rights outlined by Roosevelt have seen significant strides since 1944: The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation and the right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health. The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries shops or mines of the nation has been addressed through various initiatives, such as minimum wage laws, labor rights, and social welfare programs. Similarly, the right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health has seen advancements through Medicare and Medicaid, which provides healthcare coverage to millions of Americans. The Affordable Care Act further expanded access by requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.
2. I think the right that should be immediately addressed by Congress and the President is the right to a decent home. Access to affordable housing is important, especially considering the rising cost of living outpacing income growth. Recent inflation has dramatically increased homelessness, which remains a significant challenge in many cities. Congress should create comprehensive housing policies, including increased funding for affordable housing programs, and measures to prevent gentrification. While some people argue these policies will be environmentally destructive due to their land use, an easy solution is to switch from primarily suburban planning to urban, muti family homes, which use up less land and can house more people.
3. The right that seems least likely to be enforceable is the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment. While there have been considerable strides that were made through social security and OASDI, factors such as changing demographics, healthcare costs, and privatization pose significant threats. Specifically, social security is currently not sustainable, with the trust fund running low due to an increase in life expectancy and the elderly. If the trust fund runs out, this will result in reduced benefits for workers who are paying into the program now, meaning they will not receive the same amount they put into the program.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
Number seven has been adequately addressed, considering that it is something that is ensuring that no matter your age, disabilities, no matter how long lasting, and unemployment will throw you into poverty. This was first addressed in the Social Security act created by Franklin D Roosevelt and passed on August 14, 1935. It pays retired workers age 65+ a continuing income, post retirement. Also, something that got a lot of light and attention in 2020, due to COVID and the shutdowns caused around the world, the Social Security Act also gave 60% insurance to those who have been fired and are avidly seeking a new job. It also paid those who were disabled and could not work. Number eight, the right to good education, has also been addressed through things like Brown v. Board of Education. It was addressed through them banning segregation of the races in public schools, giving all races an equal level of schooling to this day.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
I feel like number five, the right of every family to an adequate home, should be readdressed. Considering that housing prices have gone through the roof in the past couple of decades is absurd, it’s now to the point where the average house price has grown to be more than the average income. In places like Traverse City, most people are forced to live on the streets because of how high the pricing there is but they have nowhere else to work. And cities like Traverse City are very good at hiding how high their homelessness rates are, as well, so they aren’t as addressed by others. Another thing that is making number five need to be more addressed is anti-homeless architecture being everywhere now and global warming is making it much harder to stay on the streets, as well, so the government should address this and give everyone the right to a proper home. And, if I’ve misinterpreted the point, there shouldn’t be discrimination against others when it comes to them purchasing houses, either.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
Number two, aka the right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation, would likely be the most difficult to achieve at this day and age. This is caused due to extremely high inflation prices on everything and the income prices not following, accordingly, as mentioned previously.
One out of the 8 rights listed, number 2, the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation, has been addressed since 1944. In 1964, food stamps were created to help struggling people pay for food who did not have enough money for food after paying for rent and other bills like electricity and water. Stores also had a boom in their economy. Another right that has changed since 1944 number 7, is the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment. In 2020 during the pandemic, lots of people were unemployed and were provided unemployment benefits if they were actively looking for work, this was introduced in the 1950’s at first. It also changed for retired people by getting a pension for certain jobs that they did when they were working. For teachers, they take the three highest paying years and that is their pension.
Right number six should be looked at and/or fixed. There has been a tremendous amount of change but there are still things to be done. The average cost of a simple doctor’s visit is $80-$170, mostly, insurance can cover that but not everyone can afford insurance for something that everyone should have free access to make sure they can provide for their family. The cost of an ambulance also costs $450 with insurance but can exceed up to $1,000 for an ambulance ride. These should be human rights and not cost this much especially with or without insurance. Right number 5, the right of every family to a decent home, also should be looked at and/or fixed. Not everyone has a home and many people oppose homelessness but don’t help them advance in society.
Right number 5 is the right of every family to a decent home and is the least likely enforced. In 2024 so far, over half a million people are homeless and nothing significant is being done to help by the government and wealthy people even though some wealthy people express they want to help but there are no results.
The two rights that I picked that have been addressed by the United States are the right to a good education and the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation. First, the right to a good education has been addressed since 1944 because of many laws enforced. For example, making education compulsory in all states and having a public school system have allowed the citizens of the United States to attend school. Additionally, people get choices on where they want to send their children to be educated. For example, there’s private schools and charter schools, among public schools which give a plethora of choices to the citizens of the United States. Second, the right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation has been met through lawmaking as well. For example, minimum wage laws are determined by the states, yet there is a federal minimum wage as well that states have to abide by. Social Security programs such as TANF and SSI also help provide families in need with the resources they need.
One right that should immediately be addressed or fixed by Congress or our president is the 5th right which states that every family has the right to have a decent home. This seems like a right which not a lot of people have at the moment. Around one in every five-hundred Americans is facing homelessness according to a report from January of last year. A way to fix it might be improved minimum wage and affordable housing for all along with other programs to get people the help that they need.
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad is the hardest right to be enforced currently. Unfair competition and domination of larger business will always exist and removing it would hurt the economy of the United States severely. Many things could happen such as the stock market crashing as well as going into another recession which would end up hurting the country more than helping.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
Out of all of these values, I believe the 4th and 8th are the most accomplished out of the 8 goals, and while they are on steady ground, it’s unfortunate that so many of his other points lie half-finished.
4th – The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad
While it is still true that monopolies dominate many markets, the introduction and popularity of small businesses cannot be seen more than in today’s present era. According to NerdWallet, since 2021, there have been 16 million new business applications, with over two and a half million of those being granted approval. Publicly, small businesses can attract consumers to otherwise unknown areas and create specialized and niche markets that neighborhoods can learn to love as part of their landscape. And with this addition comes protection, which is where the U.S. Small Business Administration comes in. Created in 1953, it’s job is specifically to “assist and protect the interests of small business concerns; preserve free competitive enterprise; and maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation,” (SBA.gov). They also help small businesses with exports, and loans are available to carve out a slice of the competition in the global market. This expression of significance that the US government places on the importance of small businesses (as well as large) to be protected and fought for by a federal bureau can only attest to the strive we’ve tried to make to protect every business owner from what would be an otherwise hostile economy.
8th – The right to a good education
In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which was added to help low-income areas support students and battle racial discrimination in education (russell sage.org). Along with many other acts established in the 1960s (like the State Schools Act) and beyond, public schools have gone far beyond the simplified wording of the 14th Amendment (making education an equal access right). Schools are given budgets, funding, taught by teachers with formal training, all while being given the freedom they need to explore their own areas of interest.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
6. The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health
There is no simple fix to #6, but it is the one that needs the most help. Peter G. Peterson Foundation reports that as of 2023, 7.9% of people were uninsured – and that number is too high! Not to mention that many people who may be covered by their state health insurance may still have to pay bills that aren’t covered by their insurance. Not to mention hospitals also have special chargemasters, dictating exorbitantly high prices, and they may not disclose those amounts without the patient requesting them. Even the Affordable Care Act has limits, and though its founding principles are solid, a lot of editing still needs to be done to lower the cost of insurance and meditate on these costs at their source: insurance companies.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
#2: The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation
The right above should be a given, but employers, and they have done for years. Minimum wage has been around since 1938, with several amends, but it’s baseline of $7.25. Currently, as of 2024, for an individual that’s barely enough support (poverty line is at $15,060 – healthcare.gov). But raise the minimum wage too much, and anger could begin at the distributor end of the spectrum, and many theorize this change could lead to more job loss. So yes, there is an “economic right” as to fair wage, but is it really fair? Should it be adjusted more regularly than it already is? The time it takes to answer the questions could amount to more suffering from everyone, so much so that an economic right could become a burden for the middle class to carry.
I believe that Franklin Roosevelt’s seventh point about the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment have been successfully addressed since he said those words. I have noticed a lot of retirement homes being built where the elderly are properly taken care of, entertained, and have good living conditions. I know this because I have been in them multiple times. In the case of accidents, proper auto insurance will alleviate lots of the financial stress of a car crash, and other insurances have similar attributes to things like houses, life, health, and other things of value. Finally, unemployment benefits and opportunities have greatly increased in the past century. FDR’s 5th point may have been very strong decades after, but as of right now high housing prices contribute to difficulty in finding affordable homes for families.
The 8th point about education crosses my mind when I hear this question. My 6th grade social studies teacher taught us that governors usually decide between three major topics: roads, pollution, and education for which they are going to tackle during their term. I believe that education should always be a top priority, not to say that the other two issues are not important. There are lots of improvements to be made to education, and although I am no expert, I would say that we should put more emphasis on student aspirations and having a creative mindset, instead of set classes and fixed schedules and learning. Students are the future of America, implying that congress needs to make sure we are headed in the right direction by focusing on how they are nurturing the student population.
I would definitely say #6 for this question, because the healthcare system is not prepared to make healthcare an economic right. Healthcare is extremely expensive and at the current rate, it does not seem like it will slow down. This is an issue because it means that The U.S. and its healthcare bosses are valuing money over human rights. This coincides with housing, because a family that has to spend all their money on housing will have no chance at securing the right to health insurance and a trip to the hospital just wouldn’t seem affordable.
Since the introduction of FDR’s 2nd Bill of Rights, many attempts have been made to rewrite and revamp them, with the right to a good education being one of the most often addressed. An example of this is the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, in which the government allowed for veterans to continue their education with a discount after returning from the army during WWII. Upon arriving in America, many soldiers without a proper education struggled to find jobs at a higher rate than those who were already battling tight job competition after the war, an issue that was improved through the bill’s addition. Other than education, the government has focused much of its attention on an equally impactful bill—the right to earn enough for adequate food, clothes, and recreation. To make sure the American workforce is paid properly, a minimum wage has been upheld and updated for decades since its implementation nearly a century ago. However, the right to fair wages has often been disrespected throughout history up until modern day, holding many Americans under the poverty line and struggling to make ends meet.
If one right is in need of immediate adjustment, it would have to be the right to earn enough for adequate food, clothing, and recreation, or the right to a minimum wage. Due to fluctuating rates in each state, hundreds of thousands of Americans are currently working for far under the average minimum wage. An extreme example of this is seen in Georgia, where the state minimum wage is only $5.15, over $2 lower than the average federal minimum. Such a low wage isn’t close to enough to make a living with, especially with America’s continuously growing inflation rates, which are often increasing much faster than the average income.
One right that seems particularly difficult to enforce would be the right of every family to a decent home, which would require each American citizen to be provided proper housing whether or not they can afford it. With hundreds of thousands of Americans being homeless, putting this bill into action would require major federal funding, as well as the construction of, at the very least, thousands of homes or shelters for the homeless. Today, this bill has been partially implemented through the spread of homeless shelters and other living facilities for the poor and elderly, though the conditions their residents live in are likely not up to the standard that FDR had hoped for. By using “decent” as a qualification for proper housing, the bill inadvertently allows for the production of cheap, somewhat unlivable residencies, leaving no other choice to those who can afford nothing better.
1. #5. Since 1949 the right for every family to a decent home has been seen as a basic right for humans to have. The government today has shown to not stand with this right as 653,104 Americans have experienced homelessness just in 2023 alone. There are different opportunities for employment so that others can have a form of income to afford a house, however, that is not possible for many people in America, so places like homeless shelters had to be built to give proper housing to those who need it. People have also taken things into their own hands by setting up donation programs like GoFundMe which allows others to share their stories so they can receive donations to help with money for numerous reasons, but I see a majority are used for situations that have to do with homelessness. Moreover, #2 The right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation is still shown to this day. One way this can be conveyed is that some people’s jobs are to help others find employment, which entails helping with having an overall income and leading to buying food, clothing, and more. This also brings in-laws put in place for things such as minimum wage, and maximum weekly hours, for both minors and adults depending on the job. Furthermore, the government created poverty based on income, how many people need to be fed, etc. for those who are eligible for food stamps, which are government-funded at the beginning of every month for families and people to spend that money on food.
2. I believe that the fifth right, which is the right for every family to have a decent home, should also specify everyone, no matter if they have a family or not. This right should be immediately addressed because the debate over homelessness has been a large one for a while now and our congress and president should be trying to figure out a solution that makes an impact in today’s society, even if it’s a temporary one. This is because no one should have to go through not having a proper home or shelter to stay in. To add onto that, it’s written as a basic human right, and even if it wasn’t it still should be seen as one.
3. I believe many of these rights go hand and hand and connect in some way, but the one that stands out as the hardest to execute and enforce is the first, which is the right to a job. One reason is that getting everyone in America to have a job is difficult with every job wanting something different with examples like skill sets. This can be shown through some jobs requiring at least two years of experience, but that’s not available to everyone, another is almost every job application no matter the income will ask for a home address, and seeing as many Americans are homeless, it’s difficult to access a job.
The Right of every family to a decent home was addressed in one instance in the housing act of 1968 which was supposed to ban all discrimination in buying, taking out loans and renting houses. This act works for all to have an equal chance at getting the homes that they want as before this legislation (and unfortunately sometimes after) one would not be able to purchase a house in many neighborhoods if they were not WASPs. Another right that has been addressed after 1944 was the right to having economic protection in the event of injury and old age or not being able to work in some way. This was addressed in covid times when most Americans couldn’t work with stimulus checks. This exemplifies the core concepts of all of the rights mentioned by allowing a person to still receive money for survival even if they can’t work.
The right to a good education should be immediately tended to as all people do not get an equal education even before college, especially as underprivileged and underrepresented areas do not get the proper funding to provide a truly quality education which skews the playing field for all. Furthermore, paying for college has gotten so expensive that on average it costs about $145,744 on average to pay for four years of college which is absolutely ridiculous. This is a difficult thing to do because it is expensive to run a college but something needs to be done about how expensive it is although financial aid does help one possible solution could be that the government provides a free college education. The government already does something like this and it is called the military academy. However, although college is free and the education is great, the admissions are incredibly low and you are required to serve for 8 years after.
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad seems to be the hardest to enforce because even if the market is set to be even, most people will pick cheaper goods and services and big corporations are able to make goods cheaper, so even if it is “legally” fair, small businesses still get hurt
Two of the rights named in the Second Bill of Rights have gotten attention since 1944. The main ones that stick out to me are “The right to adequate medical care” and “the right to earn enough to buy food, clothes and recreation.” Though the United States has quite a long way to go for healthcare, it is easier to get things like Medicare or Medicaid which helps lower income people get access to healthcare, and many jobs can even provide you with benefits now. Along with things like Obamacare (or the Affordable Care Act) which has helped many people more recently. Even though the effectiveness of these programs isn’t the best, it has certainly come a long way since 1944.
I think that number 8 should be fixed most immediately by our Congress and President. I think that a good education is truly a foundation for most other things in your life, and many people in lower income cities or states are at a disadvantage from the time they are sent to elementary school. Along with this, many families cannot afford higher education, which is proving every day to become more and more necessary to get just an average job in this country. Doing things like improving schools would in turn help nearly everything on this list, even by a little bit.
I think that number 4 would be the most difficult to uphold. Businesses have never, and probably will never trade in an atmosphere that is free of competition because that is what business is. How can you have a successful business if everyone else around you is doing the same thing? In our country, wealth defines who you are and what you do to a certain degree. Wealth gives you power, and on top of that, the vast majority of the people in charge of the United States have a huge amount of wealth. This would also probably cause an economic crisis in this country because of the power that big businesses hold. They have control over smaller businesses, along with the economy, and the individuals they supply.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights(if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
One of the addressed issues in FDR’s second bill of rights is the right to a good education. In modern America the ideal goal is to atleast have a highschool diploma. (graduate from highschool) This has become a reality and goal easily obtainable thanks to the implementation and expansion of public schools. Now not only is it mandatory to attend public schools, if not some other form of education, but also looked at as the only way to succeed in life. Another addressed issue is the right to earn enough to provide bare necessities for living (clothes, food, and recreation). This has been addressed by our unemployment, retirement, and other insurance or government funded aid programs. A prime example of these programs at work was during quarantine in 2020, when many were left living off of unemployment, due to the closing of many businesses/jobs.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
I believe the right to medical care is one that should be immediately addressed due to the stress and weight it puts on people. Not only can you not predict when a medical emergency is going to happen, but not having a government funded/ran medicare program can cause many issues such as debt, imprisonment, and other life changing things. These obstacles in life should be an issue addressed by the government in order to keep its citizens safe and healthy, especially in a time of crisis. I do not believe it is fair for some to be put in crippling debt just because they can not afford issuance.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
I believe the right of all businessmen to trade in an atmosphere of freedom would be difficult to enforce due to many different factors. Some being, the unpredictability of some businesses,as well as corporate greed and corruption. These obstacles would make this right challenging or downright impossible for the government to enforce this right properly due to how easily manipulated the enforcers could be (bribes, promises of shares, blackmail) One way to regulate it would be to have the government take over major businesses but i feel this would just lead to even more corruption and or unfairness in the business trade.
Out of the eight rights listed, I think that number 8, the right to a good education has been most properly achieved since 1944. While elementary education was mandatory a couple decades prior, a full education through highschool became mandatory in 1950. Not only is it still illegal to not go to school, but public education has significantly improved and become more accessible in the last century. It’s available to all races, classes, and religious groups, and often provides a good education, sometimes leading to an increased availability for scholarships in college. Some public school districts are provided with more funding than others, those districts in turn being able to provide higher education with higher paid, and more qualified teachers. Not everyone has the right to an equal education, however, a standard and good education is arguably available to all.
Number 7, the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment, should be immediately addressed or fixed by Congress or the President. Particularly protection from fears of sickness and accidents, being generally unexpected and unavoidable. While insurance is an option to those who can afford it, and have a billing address to use, the instances where sickness or accidents occur and insurance does not cover expenses are far too numerous. Making insurance more available, helpful, and less profit focussed, could significantly improve the outcomes of these situations. Unemployment for reasons not to do with the worker specifically is another reason for unfair poverty. Unemployment checks are available in some situations, but even so are generally an unstable income until a job is found, which if a worker was laid off for economic reasons, could be extremely difficult.
The right of every family to a decent home, number 5, seems least likely to be enforced. Depending on one’s definition of “decent,” this right could mean many different things to different people. Some may argue that a spot in a homeless shelter could be a “decent” home for someone who can’t afford one, others may think that a decent home for a family only exists in a stable, safe, kid-friendly neighborhood. The rate of homelessness in the U.S., the shortage of housing, and the governments unwillingness to give out money, all contribute to the unlikeliness of every family to have the right to a decent home.
The United States of America tried to address the rights of proper food, clothes, and recreation and adequate protection from the economic concerns of old people, illness, accident, and unemployment. Through tightening the belt on minimum wage and programs like SNAP, and tax credits for child care, America has made an effort to assist most in meeting their more simple or fundamental requirements. Even though we still have a very very long way to go, America has made great improvements to assisting its people in helping their quality of life/affordability of life. Through unemployment benefits and social security aid for retirees and disabled individuals, the government also tried to address issue #7. Roosevelt’s reference to Social Security in #7 was evident, and these services are still available to Americans today.
I believe that everyone has the right to enough money to support themselves in the areas of clothing, food, and recreation. In America, insufficient income is the root cause of many problems. People who have an inadequate amount of money will have their entire quality of life decline and there will be hazards to their bodily and mental health as a result of their lack of money and financial security. Additionally homelessness is a serious problem in our county and even around the world and a major part of them being homeless is the cost of living, which is not very livable at the moment.
Because humans are greedy little piglets, the fourth right is the most difficult to uphold and guarantee. In America, under American capitalism always strive to advance in their careers and increase their income, at any cost and without any regard to who it may concern. Since Teddy Roosevelts, regulations have been in place to prevent unfair trade, competition, monopolies, and breach of trust. However, monopolies continue to happen.
Of the eight rights listed, I believe number 7, “The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment,” has been addressed greatly. To start, economic protection from old age had already been put into effect by Roosevelt in 1935 in the form of social security. The program gives a certain amount of money every month to unemployed people that are over 65 years old. This program is still in effect today. In addition, accidents, specifically in the workplace, are protected by workers compensation. Nearly every state requires employees to have insurance that protects workers economically if they ever get hurt in the workplace. Finally in terms of unemployment, all states offer a form of unemployment benefits. These programs guarantee that a person who loses their job, not to their own fault, will continue to have a small, steady income while they look for a new job. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, stimulus checks of up to 1400 dollars were distributed to unemployed people.
Another right that has been somewhat guaranteed is the right to a good education. By the year 1950, almost all states had laws requiring that a child was educated until at least the age of 16. This was much better than before, in the 1920’s, where only elementary school was required. In recent years, average federal spending per pupil per year has increased meaning that overall, the government is trying to provide a better education. I say “somewhat” because the increase in funding isn’t dispersed evenly across the nation. Some people in some places have access to a much better education than other people.
https://educationdata.org/public-education-spending-statistics
I think that number 2, “The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation,” should be immediately addressed by the government. While there is a minimum wage that theoretically provides a single person with enough money to sustain themselves, it has been shown and agreed upon that minimum wage is simply not enough to live off of for a typical family of four. According to MIT, “The minimum wage does not provide a living wage for most American families … A single parent with two children needs to work the equivalent of three and one half full-time jobs (139 hours per work week)… to earn the living wage on a minimum wage income.” (Carey Nadeau, OpenDataNation Inc. and Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier). Although it’s better than nothing, minimum wage at its current rate is not does not provide a working parent enough to buy adequate food and clothing for their child.
https://livingwage.mit.edu/articles/15-minimum-wage-can-an-individual-or-a-family-live-on-it#:~:text=The%20minimum%20wage%20does%20not,to%20earn%20a%20living%20wage.
I think the right of every family to a decent home is very hard or almost impossible to provide. It would require very much government funding to pay for the material and the labor to build these houses and to provide them with electricity, gas and water. Or, the government could provide houses that have already been built but that would still cost a massive amount of money. All in all, I think the task of supplying every single homeless person a home, or fix every person’s home that isn’t “decent” is an impossible task financially.
Out of the 8 new rights, I think the right to adequate protection for the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment (6th right) and the right to a good education(8th right) are both the most addressed rights since 1944. Economic protection due to impairments can be shown today through disability checks, retirement benefits, and unemployment checks. All are funded by the government. Disability checks are given to people who have a disability so bad that they can’t work a normal job, it’s a very small amount of money. Similar to disability checks, unemployment checks are given to people who can apply for unemployment. And retirement benefits are given to someone based on what job they worked, and the perks given after retirement. Education has improved greatly since the 1940s. Schools are now unsegregated and anyone can and has to go to school. The Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974 states that no state shall deny equal educational opportunity to an individual based on race, sex, or origin. Education laws provide widespread free education for all children up to age 18.
I think the 5th right- every family to a decent home should be immediately addressed. I haven’t heard about many steps the government has taken to help give every family a decent home. I’ve heard stories of people who live in a home infested by bugs or mold, to the point where it is barely livable. Yet those people are raising children in those homes and don’t have any form of help that can get them out of a bad situation. I think every child should be given a decent home to grow up in and some people live so deep in poverty that they can’t give their children a good home, and they have no help.
I think the first right, the right to a useful and remunerative job in the shops or farms or mines industry would be the least likely to make possible. I think that the government would have to try very hard and still not be able to give everyone a good job. There is no way that everyone would be able to keep their jobs if given the chance.
1. Out of the eight new rights, the Brown v. Board of Education is a great example of our country attempting to address the 8th right which is “the right to a good education”. This case highlighted the racial segregation in public schools and the lack of attention on minorities led to unequal education. Although this does not directly state the 8th right, the message behind it is that every person has the right to a good education regardless of race. We can see now that education plays a huge role in our life and without it, we would be missing out on so many opportunities. The Social Security Act supports the 7th right, the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment. This act helps the elderly by promising the income of the retired and the workers laid off. The temporary aid helped this program to be one of the nations most important for the elderly and especially after the Great Depression there were many unemployed or laid off. Generally, the economic depression led to unemployment numbers spiking up.
2. The fifth right of the 2nd Bill of Rights, the right of every family to a decent home sounds like it should be immediately addressed. Most people don’t have a place to live based off the shortages of affordable housing. Also, especially during the 1930s-1940s, poverty throughout America grew a considerable amount. I believe that this right is more essential to gain the feeling of security and prosperity than the other rights because in order to be healthy, receive a good education, and work, you need a house. Roosevelt claimed that having these economic rights would guarantee security in America and the most fundamental right would be to start off with a house.
3. One new right out of the eight given that seems least likely to be enforceable is the first right which is “the right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation”. Out of all the eight rights, this one made the least sense to me. The government would have a counterproductive role making sure every person is in a job that is “useful” making this right the most difficult to come by. If we didn’t have this right, I don’t believe anything would change to a great extent.
Question 1: The second right proposed is the right to earn enough to feed, be clothed, and do recreational activities. This changed since 1944 because money became inflated and technology advanced, therefore the amount of money needed to fulfill this right became more. Especially with the recent inflation because of the pandemic, prices for almost everything went up, but paychecks did not change. Furthermore, the amount of people being laid off required the unemployment laws to change so that all of the people who were unemployed could still get by. An act called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act was passed in March of 2020 and what that did was expand the unemployment insurance system. This was then expanded in September of 2021. The pandemic also affected the eighth right, which is the right to a good education. This right hugely changed because we weren’t allowed to go to school anymore. The entire way school was taught changed and became an online form. New apps and tools were developed and adopted by schools to continue to teach students properly. Such as Schoology. Also, new methods of teaching were needed.
Question 2: The right to a good education is something that sorely needs to be addressed in this country. We have it really nice off here, but in other places, kids are being taught entirely different things. Florida for example, and their recent change in the curriculum involving African American history. There should be a more widely agreed upon curriculum for all schools, and furthermore, better pay for teachers so that more people would want to become teachers, and that might help with the shortage of teachers.
Question 3: The line of quality for what’s called a “good education” isn’t super defined, therefore, would be a difficult subject to come to agreement on. Then, if we as a country did come to an agreement on what a good education means, it would be very difficult to get different parts of the country to agree on what exactly to teach children. It would also cost a lot of money to change anything about the current educational system, which would make a lot of people angry if it were to be changed.
1. The right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation has been partially addressed because there is a minimum wage, and in 2009, they increased the federal minimum wage to $7.25. There are also some federal programs, such as the TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), which provides food to low-income people at no cost, and the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), which is a program that provides food stamps so that low-income families can pay for nutritious food. Snap also gives clothes to these families.
Another issue that has been addressed is the right to a good education. The ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson and gave federal grants to districts serving low-income students. These grants were given to state educational agencies, which improved early education and helped schools buy textbooks and library books, provide funding for special education centers, and provide scholarships for low-income students. In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed. This reauthorized many federal programs aimed at increasing the quality of American primary and secondary schools by raising standards for states, school districts, and schools, as well as giving parents more flexibility to choose which school they wanted their children to go to. This promoted and increased the emphasis on reading as well as reauthorizing the ESEA.
2. The right that should be immediately addressed or fixed by Congress and the President is the right to earn enough to provide adequate food, clothing, and recreation because the federal minimum wage hasn’t been changed since 2009, and the minimum wage is $7.25. This is an issue, as prices in 2022 were 1.36 times as high as the average prices since 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index. This means that an average worker earning the minimum wage or below has annual earnings of $12,441 and may qualify for programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Additional Child Tax Credit, which is a problem as more people are dropping below the poverty line. In fact, the cost of living is way higher than what people who earn the minimum wage can cover. If they raise the minimum, it will not only cause fewer people to live in poverty but also improve the quality of life.
3. The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health is probably one of the rights that is least enforceable because there is a lot of disagreement about universal healthcare, especially on whether it should be “free” or “compensated.” This is because the government would need to raise taxes to make it accessible to all, but many households are already struggling to make ends meet or don’t want to pay more. Additionally, many don’t get the adequate medical care they need because they don’t have the money to pay for the expenses. In many places, there are limited resources, labor, and infrastructure to access this care, especially in poor areas. I think that in order to implement this right, the government would need to raise the minimum wage and possibly build new infrastructure to ensure access to good healthcare, which many people will likely not agree with.
Margaux
Two rights that have been addressed since are right seven and right eight. Because social security takes money out of people’s paychecks, there is money for you if you are ever unemployed or after you retire. I saw this during COVID-19 as many people were able to continue living with the support of unemployment checks even with intense numbers of layoffs and general unemployment as companies did not need a lot of workers or had to shut down entirely. Also, after someone retires past the age of 66-67 they will be able to receive a full monthly benefit. We also have a really good public education system where the majority of people are able to access good public schools in their area where they can attend for free. There are still some issues with this system as schools are funded by taxes paid in their area so in richer areas, schools will be better.
Right number two should be immediately fixed by Congress. This would be increasing the federal minimum wage to something liveable. Currently, people who get tips get paid far less and often they have to split the tips that they worked for. In many places, minimum wage does not provide enough money for someone to support themselves, let alone a family. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, with an average 40 hour work week that is $290 per week, $1160 per month, and $13,920 per year. According to renthop the cheapest rent is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at $1000 per month, leaving someone working minimum wage with less than $200 for food, gas, and other necessities, not to mention taxes. This is a huge problem that needs to be solved.
Right number four would be the hardest to enforce in my opinion. Although there are laws to decrease the powers of monopolies, there are so many big businesses such as Apple which has pretty much taken over the phone market in America that to get rid of them completely is unachievable. There is also now way to make sure everyone is exactly equal when there is such a high disparity between the richest and poorest in the nation.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
Since 1944, I think #2 and #8, the right to earn enough and the right to a good education have been addressed. For the first one, fair wages and hours have been set in place to protect workers. At least in Michigan, minimum wage increased on January 1st, 2024, to $10.33 an hour.. Every American has the ability to apply for a job, and if they can’t get one there are systems in place to help them, like disability. I also think #8, access to a good education has been addressed. The Every Student Succeeds Act provided states with more flexibility when designing their education systems. It reduced the emphasis on standardized testing and emphasized the idea of promoting a well rounded education.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
I think that #6, The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health, is something that should be fixed immediately by our Congress and President. Due to the high costs of healthcare, not everyone has access to it. Everyone deserves the right to have free medical care, regardless of their financial situation. Compared to the United Kingdom, France, and Canada, the United States has the lowest life expectancy and the highest death rates for treatable conditions. A country with a healthcare system that everyone has access to is the only correct way it should be. It is a moral obligation to care for everyone equally, and their ability to pay should not determine that.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
#4, the right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad seems like the least likely to be enforceable, because trade is naturally competitive. On paper, it seems like a good idea, but in theory, it would be very difficult to achieve because not enough has been done to protect the smaller businesses. For example, a big company like Amazon has made it harder for smaller businesses to grow, yet nothing has been done to stop Amazon. Also, it would be difficult to get rid of “unfair” competition because there would be many debates over what is fair and what isn’t. Because of reasons like this, it is likely that this will never be enforced.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
-Right to good education and healthcare: Head start program: provided early childhood education, health and nutrition to low income children and families. IUn 1994, the Early Head Start Program expanded to include birth to age 3. Services include health screening and free preschool, and serves 1 million children each year.
– Right of family to have a decent home :HUD- Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965(Lyndon B. Johnson)- programs to make housing available to low income families;provides housing vouchers to low income families.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why?
adequate protection from economic fears of old age- millennials may receive less Social Security than their parents because the fund will have less money because spending and less people contributing. New programs to ensure social security programs continue to be funded in the future. –
Right of a family to have a decent home- not just families, but everyone should have access to a decent home. New programs and incentives to increase the number of starter homes being built should be introduced.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
-Right for protection from unemployment- Bernie Sanders proposed a “Jobs For All” plan where every American could have a stable job with a living wage. Reasons why something like this probably aren’t likely to happen are the cost(upwards of $70 billion a year) and fears of socialism.
I believe that The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad, has been addressed in a way because many antitrust acts, regulations, and policies have been set/placed so that there is a reduced amount of the controlling/dominant ways. Another right I feel has been addressed is the right to a good education, because there are many ways that you can get some good education all around the world and there are way more opportunities, especially for those that are not white since before there was a lot of segregation happening and I know that Ruby bridges, the first black person to go to an all-white school, wasn’t able to go to her all-white school until 1960 which is 16 years after this so times have definitely changed since then now that there are schools around the world with all different races that give good education opportunities and it doesn’t matter what race you are. Also, there are even requirements that minors go to school (compulsory education laws) I believe it’s from around ages 7-16 (well at least in some states in the U.S.). Education is very encouraged now, especially in trying to persuade people that they should go to college and get a degree.
I feel that The right to earn enough to provide adequate food clothing and recreation should be immediately addressed because these are basic living necessities and I feel that everyone should have the right to all of these things.
I feel like The right of every family to a decent home is least likely to be enforceable because there are obviously many families and there are so many that are struggling and are barely making it through every day. Since these families are struggling it is hard for them to be able to afford a house. I really doubt that the government would take their time to give and provide EVERY family a decent home. I could also say that the right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation is pretty least likely to be enforced because that would be a lot of money for the government to provide all three for everyone. As we know many people make minimum wage making it hard for people to just live and making so everyone can make enough money to afford all three would take a lot.
I believe that number two has been achieved since 1944. In 1964 the food stamp act was passed by Lyndon B Johnson. The food stamps helped because they gave a way and still give a way to this day for poor families to be able to collect food that is paid for by the government’s food stamps. Number eight the rights to a good education has been achieved since then. In 1965 Lydon B Johnson also signed into act the, elementary and secondary education act. The act emphasized equal access to education. It aimed to shorten the achievement gaps between students by providing federal funding to schools that have poorer families that attend them.
I think that 5 should really be changed more. Especially in the area that we live in, being surrounded by or living in Detroit, there are a ton of poverty ridden neighborhoods with homes in very poor conditions. I always notice roofs that have chunks taken out of it and some homes that have burn spots from fires all over them. I am not fully aware of what laws have been put in place in order to fix these problems but it doesn’t seem to be apparently working, especially in our area. I think a law should be put in place that people who maybe can’t afford a good decent home insurance should be able to have some government funding that will be able to take care of repairs that poor families cannot afford.
I feel that number six is complicated to enforce. Although the Obama administration was put in place in 2010 it raised insurance prices and health care. It also increased Americans to be more reliant on the government. It also increased the amount of taxes and made taxes much more expensive. It seems as though it is impossible to find a proper balance to give everyone the opportunity to have healthcare because health care is almost essential. Health care is also extremely expensive and if you cannot afford this it can become a very big problem. How to find the perfect balance I am not entirely sure but hopefully one day we find it and solve this ongoing problem.
1. Out of the 8 new rights listed above, which of them do you believe have been addressed in some way or another since 1944? Try to pick at least 2 and explain our country has tried to address them or parts of these rights (if you choose #6 – adequate medical care – please try to do some research and not repeat misinformation that you might have heard, i.e., it’s going to save billions, death panels (an initial criticism of Obamacare when it was proposed), it forces everyone to buy insurance, etc.)
Since 1944 out of President Roosevlt’s second Bill of Rights I believe the two that have been the most addressed are the seventh and eighth rights. The seventh right is the “right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment”. With the Great Depression, Roosevelt signed into place the Social Security Act in 1935, to specifically help the elderly and unemployed. Now Social Security helps American citizens who are retired, disabled, or veterans, as well as some of these people’s families, and now 90% of Americans above the age of 65 receive Social Security benefits. The second right is the right “to a good education”. Currently low income families cannot afford to send their children to almost 95% of all colleges and universities in the United States.
2. Which of these 8 rights should be the one that is immediately addressed or fixed by our Congress and President? Why? The second right, “The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation” would be one of the easiest to think of a fix for. Minimum wage is a huge problem in the U.S. with nearly 12% of Americans being low-income. Starting in 2009, the national minimum wage wage is 7.25$, but some progressive states have created much more livable wages of 15$ per hour minimum wage, including California, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland, and New Jersey.
3. Which one of these seems the least likely to be enforceable / possible to make an economic right (please don’t pick the farming right – it doesn’t affect too many people)? Why?
The fifth right, “The right of every family to a decent home”, seems least likely to be enforceable. Since the pandemic, homelessness has increased by more than 10%, and being low-income makes it extremely difficult to find accessible and safe housing. There’s also a lack of available houses, so there is currently not enough room for so many Americans to have a house, let alone a “decent” one.