A man in a wide brimmed hat feeds a cow hay, while a man in a baseball cap and suit covered in overalls watches.

Core Ideas

Quoted by leaders and studied by scholars, Adlai is a standard by which political leaders are measured for their integrity and their commitment to the principles of democracy. His ideas remain relevant — perhaps critical — even today.

Governor Adlai Stevenson visiting a farmer, February 11, 1949; courtesy Pantagraph.

This site offers visitors various means to explore Adlai's core ideas through Adlai's own words, an Archive of historic texts, historian interpretations, and tools to examine Adlai's ideas and legacy in today's news. One way to consider Adlai's ideas is to notice three underlying core values that permeate his life's work: Think, Care, and Connect.

Think
Adlai was a thinker. He was an intellectual who believed in the power of careful thought and dialogue. He trusted — and expected — people...

Care
Adlai cared. He went out of his way to learn about people. He talked with people directly, then translated what he learned into policies ...

Connect
Adlai connected with people. And, he expected people to connect with one another — to understand and be responsible for their neighbors b...