The greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another

[Two of the most unpopular presidential candidates selected by the two parties in history] indicates that there is a lot of cynicism out there. It indicates that the corrosive nature of everything from talk radio to fake news to negative advertising has made people lack confidence in a lot of our existing institutions.

[American Citizenship] captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations

What makes us exceptional - what makes us American - is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

There are some exceptions: Chicago, my hometown, in particular. But overall in the country this is a much safer place than it used to be.

This is the defining issue of our time. This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class and for all those who are fighting to get into the middle class.

[My grandmother] is a typical white person.