We the people: the modern-day figures who have reshaped and affirmed the Founding Fathers' vision of America

The Founding Fathers and modern America

The great American melting pot. JFK, Ted Kennedy, and the immigration reform that changed America

The living Constitution. Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., Lyndon Johnson, and the fight for civil rights

Broken windows, urban crime, and hard data. Bill Bratton and modern policing

"No apologies, no regrets." General William Westmoreland and the rebirth of the U.S. military

It's the economy, stupid. Milton Friedman's new math of free markets, big business, and small taxes

Liberty and justice for all. Eleanor Roosevelt and the fight for universal human rights

The bridge and tunnel crowd. Robert Moses, William Levitt, and the American city

"Keep the boys happy." George Meany, labor unions, and the rise of the middle class

One nation under God. Billy Graham and the power of the Christian right

Girls to women to your boss. Betty Friedan and American feminism

The power of diplomacy. Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon, and the opening of China

One-third of a nation. Pat Moynihan and the war on poverty

Equal protection under the law. Harry Hay, Barry Goldwater, and gay rights

Back to the future. Ronald Reagan, Ed Meese, and the remaking of the judicial system

The social safety net. Social Security, Medicare, and Robert Ball 'Silent spring.' Rachel Carson and the environmental movement

A new beginning. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Jackson, and the fight for racial equality

The right to bear arms. Charlton Heston and the NRA.