Community responsibility to the individual

In exchange for the contributions we make to the community, there is a reciprocal responsibility of governments and businesses to us. There are no "self-made men" in the world: all of us rely heavily on services of the government, business, and charitable sectors. This interdependence is what makes an advanced economy.

We rely on government and business together to promote freedom and opportunity. Competitive markets give us freedom of choice, something we value highly. We expect both government and business to be responsive to the vast diversity of the nation, to be flexible. We see it as a failure of competition when our choices are limited to a bland but inexpensive sameness that limits our choices and reduces our freedom; or when businesses fail to meet their responsibilities to individuals or the community. Regulation is always a balancing process between economic rights and collective responsibilities.

Our superior economy is based on the possibility that anyone with a good idea can start a small business and put that idea to the test in a free, fair market. We expect government to maintain the levelness of the playing field, and we expect larger businesses to respect the entrepreneurial incubator. Democrats believe the community can do much more to help small businesses get off to a good start and restrain anti-competitive corporate behavior.

A key responsibility of government is to ensure equal protection under the law for everyone, with no exceptions. We believe all people are created equal, that all of us are endowed with certain fundamental rights, including life, liberty, and opportunity. One of the main reasons our government exists is to protect these rights and provide a basic safety net for everyone so they can freely pursue opportunity.

When government and business interact with the individual, we expect them to respect and value our time, work, and dignity. We take action as a community when this responsibility is not honored. The No-Call List is a prime example of this, a Democratic initiative with widespread public support. We believe in a corporation's responsibility to all its stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, and the general public.

We believe our hard work and time have value that goes beyond what a competitive market would pay for it. Regardless of our hourly wage, we donate our time freely to charitable causes, for example, and many of us choose occupations that pay less than what we might otherwise make. We believe anyone willing to work hard deserves some degree of recognition, including in government policies such as minimum wage and taxation.

Responsibility increases with power. As a government or private organization becomes larger, we expect more from it, more responsibility to both the individual and the community. Democrats have always been concerned about the asymmetrical relationship between large organizations and the individual. We support institutions that strengthen the hand of the individual, such as organized labor. We are still the party of "the little guy."

Political themes: Free and fair competition. Support of individual initiative. Corporate responsibility, regulated if necessary. Equal protection under the law. Responsibility increases with power. Support for the little guy.