President Barack Obama spoke about the importance of citizenship in his commencement address at Ohio State University on May 5, asking the class of 2013 t0 participate and persevere in their defense of democracy.

“The founders trusted us with this awesome authority. We should trust ourselves with it, too. Because when we don’t, when we turn away and get discouraged and cynical, and abdicate that authority, we grant our silent consent to someone who will gladly claim it,” he said. “That’s how we end up with lobbyists who set the agenda; and policies detached from what middle-class families face every day; the well-connected who publicly demand that Washington stay out of their business — and then whisper in government’s ear for special treatment that you don’t get.”

Below is the complete transcript of President Obama’s address: