Barack Obama mounted a vigorous defence of the role of an interventionist government and a social safety net in an uplifting and uncompromising speech that marked the formal opening of his second term.
Delivered from the steps of the Capitol building and overlooking a crowd that filled the Washington mall below, Mr Obama’s speech struck all the optimistic notes and oratorical highs that are his trademark. But it also contained gestures to the coalition that returned him to the White House, with nods to equality for women and gays, a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and the need for the state to play a role in combating poverty.
“Preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action,” he said.
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