Both refer explicitly and lyrically to the foundational ideals of America as expressed in, for example, The Declaration of Independence. In this, they are joined by many documents, (such as The Emancipation Proclamation) in the premise that America’s founding ideals are an unfinished project, a “dream.” America is at every step an imperfect manifestation of those ideals and in every epoch, each generation should strive to advance the real country toward the dreamed of ideals of freedom and equality.
