From Vox: Read Bernie Sanders's speech on democratic socialism in the United States

Its has been decades since a viable candidate identified as a democratic socialist. This is long enough for our understanding of the term to have slipped.

Sanders tried to clear the record. Vox provides his prepared remarks for a recent speech on the subject.

- Click here for it.

So let me define for you, simply and straightforwardly, what democratic socialism means to me. It builds on what Franklin Delano Roosevelt said when he fought for guaranteed economic rights for all Americans. And it builds on what Martin Luther King, Jr. said in 1968 when he stated that; "This country has socialism for the rich, and rugged individualism for the poor." It builds on the success of many other countries around the world that have done a far better job than we have in protecting the needs of their working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor.

Democratic socialism means that we must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy. Democratic socialism means that we must reform a political system in America today which is not only grossly unfair but, in many respects, corrupt.