In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was making the case that government was a necessary and positive part of American life. Contemporary Democrats are having less success with the argument. Joe Caneva/AP hide caption

Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., confirms plans in Chesterfield, Mo., on Aug. 24 to stay in the U.S. Senate race. Sid Hastings/AP hide caption

Rev. Sun Myung Moon (left), founder of the Unification Church, and his wife, Han Hak Ja, attend the ceremony after the Peace Cup final match between Hamburger SV and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma at Suwon World Cup Stadium on July 22 in Suwon, South Korea. Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images hide caption

New England Patriots safety Ross Ventrone catches a pass before an an NFL game against the New York Jets and on Nov. 13, 2011, in East Rutherford, N.J. Bill Kostroun/AP hide caption

After struggling with depression for much of his adult life, writer David Foster Wallace committed suicide on Sept. 12, 2008. Giovanni Giovannetti/Effigie hide caption

Alanis Morissette's Havoc and Bright Lights is the singer's eighth studio album. Courtesy of the artist hide caption