More than three-quarters of Americans say they still believe the American Dream is worth striving for ahead of the 250th anniversary, but many Democrats are starting to give up, according to a new survey. In total, 78% of those surveyed believe it is important to strive for the American Dream - the same figure as in 2024, according to the Gallup American Dream Study, whose results were published Thursday.
More than two-thirds (69%) of those surveyed believe they will personally achieve the American Dream, a slight drop of 3 percentage points since 2024. However, the study found that less than half (46%) of respondents believe everyone has the opportunity to achieve the American Dream, down from 51% in 2024.
What is the American Dream, in reality? The "real" American Dream is not a single, fixed standard. At its core, it is the deeply personal ethos that anyone - regardless of background - has the freedom and opportunity to succeed, improve their circumstances, and build a meaningful life through hard work and determination.
While it means different things to different people, it typically encompasses a few fundamental pillars:
1. Upward Mobility - Often summarized as the promise that your children's lives will be better than your own. It represents the ability to rise above your station of birth.
2. Basic Security & Comfort - Achieving baseline economic stability - such as steady employment, owning a home, having access to medical care, and the ability to comfortably retire.
3. Liberty and Self-Determination - Rooted in the Declaration of Independence, it is the freedom to choose your own path, start a business, and pursue happiness on your own terms.
I'll stand and applaud that...
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??? The AVERAGE cost of a house is $400k, a car $50K, gas $5 a gal, beef outrageous, mandatory health insurance more than a mortgage, 70k page tax code,, spying 24/7, country divided in half, elderly working until death and on and on. They must have only poled the wealthy.
ReplyDeleteI am a late Boomer. I was in the Air Force in the same carrier field as my dad. The money he made after the USAF had a lot more buying power than what I made in the same career field even though I became a senior field engineer and he was just a technician.
ReplyDeleteIt's extremely hard for a young couple to buy a house when the average home is priced $600K. Home prices have tripled while wages have not!
ReplyDeleteIf I start down the road of "what happened" and run through the valley of "the way things used to be" I'll get so depressed I won't get out of bed. Bullet point summary of my point of view:
ReplyDelete-The further we get from the Garden of Eden, the worse our lives are
-The closer we have to homogeneity in our social circles the calmer the environment
-We are experiencing the Tower of Babel effect; follow-on confusion decays relationships of all sorts
-Ignoring threats only emboldens them; there is a cumulative and exponential power of aggression and its' damage
-Protection of culture does not mean total isolation but it does mean protection
-The invasion of low IQ moslem and similar hostiles cannot be turned by welcoming love and expectations of peace. The enemy does not want peace, it wants victory
-Love your neighbor, pray for your enemys' conversion, but don't carry on an empty chamber
-And fuck 'em if they can't take a joke
Hell yeah the American Dream is alive and well. My wife and I weren't handed anything by our parents, went to college on our own dimes, really didn't get decent jobs until we were 30 and retiring at 60 with zero worries. It's all about how you live - you need to save for the future because it will come. The whole "live for today" mentality is what the problem is. Buy a solid car that will last 20 years, stop living beyond your means and don't be an A-hole because " you have to get yours". Stop blaming others for your situation - who is more responsible for yourself than you?
ReplyDeleteWell you're one of the lucky ones so far. The rest of us had our retirements stolen by big government and high prices while our savings were cut in half by inflation. We worked just as hard maybe harder. My car is 35 years old, my house is paid for. Pray you or your wife stay healthy and don't need hospitalization or home nursing. It will break you in a heartbeat.
DeleteNot luck, just a lot of hard work and discipline. Put in my 20 in the Guard, which anyone can/could have done, worked hard, ignored the idiots, had a good attitude and learned from our mistakes. There isn't anything we did that anyone else couldn't do. I dug holes in the ground back in the 80s for $3.35/hour and survived the cube farms of the 00s. Now Tricare, Medicare, Social Security and a good 401k will make it so we don't have to worry much in retirement. Good luck to all, I wish everyone the best.
DeleteAs my senior drill instructor said, "Life is unfair, and then you die." You might not succeed at life, but if you don't try, your failure is guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteSuch sayings belong in the garbage heap along with "it could have been worse," or "well that's just the way it is..." blah, blah, blah.
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