President Franklin' D. Roosevelt's address to the Commonwealth Club on September 23, 1932 began by addressing the fact that while many in America felt that everything was wrong with the country because of the Great Depression, he felt that America was in the process of change and development, and held great potential for youth. He noted that the issue had always been whether individuals should serve a system of Government of economics, or whether a system of Government of economics exists to serve individuals. Roosevelt said he believed democracy was "a quest, a never-ending seeking for better things, and in the seeking for these things and striving for them, there are many roads to follow."
Roosevelt then talked about the history of Government in Europe, and how it had evolved through a struggle for the development of a centralized power in the Nation, able to impose peace on the ruling barons. The creation of a strong central Government, he said, gave the individual some relief because they preferred a master far away to the exploitation and cruelty of one nearby. However, Roosevelt pointed out that the creators of such Governments were ruthless men, who often employed cruel methods, but behaved this way to produce what the people wanted - a strong central Government which could keep the peace, put down civil wars, control the noblemen, and permit the masses to live in relative safety.
Once central Governments had been established in Europe and were serving their purpose, these ruthless leaders were no longer needed or tolerated. People began to see that the few were profiting at the expense of the many, and sought change through town councils, trade guilds, national parliaments, and with a constitution, popular participation in government, and limitations on arbitrary power. There also arose the ethical concept that a ruler bore some responsibility for his subjects.
Roosevelt then turned to America, and the Am...