In 1935, President Roosevelt cautioned against an economic elite seeking control over both markets and democracy. He described those who leverage wealth to manipulate laws for personal gain, pledging a government serving the people, not the privileged. This challenge persists, but now billionaires themselves are increasingly influencing our government, funding campaigns, and installing loyalists to rewrite the rules. They advocate for cuts to public education, including schools in working-class areas, while pushing for unaffordable tax breaks for investors.

Our generation's challenge is to create an economy that benefits everyone, not just the wealthy. (Leigh Vogel/WireImage | Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Like the railroad barons of the past, today's elite resist regulations to protect their profits. They prioritize rapid growth and disruption, treating government as a personal experiment, disregarding the millions who rely on its services. This sense of entitlement stems from a belief in their own superior talent and success, positioning themselves as the rightful decision-makers. They view entrepreneurs, hedge fund managers, and tech giants as the sole drivers of prosperity, leaving working families to accept whatever trickles down.

This mindset prioritizes their vision, profits, and power, regardless of societal cost. Decades of Republican rhetoric against government necessitates a strong Democratic counter-argument: government can be a force for good. This means supporting well-funded schools in working-class communities, defending Pell Grants and student loans, and safeguarding programs for special-needs children. It also requires protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to ensure dignity and economic security for all Americans.

The crucial question is whether we will allow a powerful minority to control our economy, jobs, and democracy, or reclaim the American dream where hard work leads to prosperity. Our task is to rebuild an economy that benefits everyone, invest in American production, empower workers, and ensure that people, not financial power, chart our nation's course.

FDR challenged the economic elite of his era. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

America's unique strength lies in the belief in every citizen's potential. Unlike Russia or China, our government must counteract the economic forces that have concentrated wealth in a few urban centers at the expense of factory towns. We must empower citizens with economic independence to control their own destinies. Just as FDR confronted the economic royalists of his time, we must challenge the current alliance of wealth and power—not out of resentment, but resolve. Our goal is not to punish wealth, but to ensure that prosperity is built by and for the people who drive our nation. This is our mission, our moment, and together we will meet it.