Conclusion
595
solely because of his race, sex, or religion. In no country does there exist
a higher degree of personal freedom.
(6) Participation in public affairs and decision-making is open to everyone interested, through the constitutional institutions of representative government. From local school boards and township offices to the
Congress and the presidency, it is possible for an American to make his
opinions known and his vote sought.
(7) No person, however rich or well known, exerts arbitrary power in
America. Checks upon power, and balances of power, still function in the
national and the State governments. Nor does any class or social group
enjoy special privileges at law.
(8) Individual freedom of choice in many things, personal privacy, and
opportunity for success in many walks of life are made possible by a political system that takes heed of the dignity of the human person and
looks upon the state as designed for the advancement and protection of
that person.
(9) Freedom of religious belief and practice is secure in the United
States, and fanatic ideologies have not thrust aside the American habit of
thinking for one’s self.
(10) Freedom of speech and of the press and other media of communication are virtually unlimited; opportunities for education, training,
and self-improvement are greater than in any other country.
All these ten large advantages, and a good many more, are bound up
with our constitutional system and the customs and traditions that have
been nurtured by the Constitution. But also the Constitution of the United
States encounters real difficulties nowadays. Can it endure for another two
centuries? Listed below are some of the problems that must be confronted
by Americans who know that liberty, order, and justice do not endure if
they are left unattended.
(1) Any political order, including that of the United States, rests upon
a moral order—a body of common convictions about good and evil, about
duties and rights. The Constitution was drawn up by men who shared certain realistic and healthy assumptions about human nature and society.
But nowadays in this country, as generally in the modern world, signs of
widespread moral decay are obvious enough. Good laws are not upheld
by corrupt men and women. The Framers of the Constitution spoke often