"The idea of public reason specifies the political values that are to guide the exercise of political power."

"The intuitive idea is that since everyone's well-being depends upon a scheme of cooperation without which no one could have a satisfactory life, the division of advantages should be such as to draw fo…"

"The idea of a constitutional democracy is that political power is to be exercised according to a constitution that is publicly affirmed by all citizens."

"The basic liberties can be restricted only for the sake of liberty itself."

"The point of the veil of ignorance is to exclude those contingencies that set men at odds and tempt them to exploit social and natural circumstances to their own advantage."