The Inevitability Of The American Dream

Throughout the early twentieth century shone the American Dream – the idea that everybody has the opportunity to become successful, regardless of their financial backgrounds. People fell in love with the idea, because it gave them high hopes, and it was very relevant at the time. In the past century, however, many things have changed. Due to the overall transition of the economy and society, the American dream is no longer relevant in America. Signs of the increasing irrelevance of the dream are eminent in society. As Richard Eskow mentions in an online article, people have to be rich to get a college education, and “education... is ‘the great equalizer… the facilitator of the American dream,’” Having a proper education is an ideal aspect
of the dream for many Americans, but the cost of tuition can come as a huge disappointment. Eskow also notes that not only has the cost of healthcare risen by 73% in the past 8 years, but also the median household income has decreased by 8%. Obviously, healthcare is becoming less obtainable. It is hard for people to keep believing that their country will offer them financial opportunities when something as fundamental as medical reliability is becoming increasingly out of reach (Eskow). The increased costs in education and healthcare eventually lead to more people struggling to raise families. Raising a family seems ideal for those pursuing the American dream. However, with the need for better finances forces parents to work more, and therefore takes away the luxury of staying home to raise children. Surely, the American dream does not imply children whose parents are never home (Eskow). The indications of the death of the American dream are not limited to the societal signs; the people of the United States are also taking note of the status of their country. According to the Heartland Monitor Poll 18, 64% of people believe that the country is off on the wrong track. Similarly, 88% of the participants rate the current economic state of the U.S. as either in only fair shape or in poor shape. The people do not have high expectations of the country. If the country cannot handle its financial situation, the people will not benefit from the economy (“Heartland”). If the American dream were not actually dead, the state of the American economy would show signs or recuperating. This, however, does not seem to be the case. The Heartland poll reports that 67% of its participants expect either a decline or no change in the economy in the near future. Also, the majority of people said that when today’s children grow up, they will have less financial freedoms and securities compared to earlier generations. If the already dilapidated financial position of the country has little sign of recovering, individuals cannot rely on the country to grant them opportunity for financial success. (Heartland). Of the many elements that factor into the confidence of achieving the American dream, age seems very prominent. A statistical report by Lifestory Research indicates that the older generations are less confident that their children will find success in pursuing the American dream. Between those aged 23 -34 years old to those aged 70 years and older, there is a decrease of 36% of those saying that they are still in pursuit of the dream, while there is only a 12% increase in those who say they have achieved it. This means that as people grow older, they tend to give up on the dream. Having lived in the U.S. longer, they naturally see the truth behind the dream (“The American Dream”). More prominent than age as a factor of the pursuit of the dream is money.
According to the Lifestory report, 19% of people with incomes under $50,000 say that they have achieved the dream, whereas 44% of people with incomes of $100,000 say so. Two points can be noted from this statistic. The first is how income affects the perception of the dream. Those with more money think the dream is true. This in itself is not surprising; in fact, it seems perfectly intuitive. The major matter that the statistic reveals is how only a minority of people, rich or poor, believe that the American dream is still alive (“The American
Dream”).
Another statistic addresses the idea of the dream directly. People were polled on how their current financial health compares to their health five years in the past. The poll reveals that the majority of people say that their financial health is either the same of worse off. Being able to move up the financial ladder is a major provision of the American dream. The data exposes that this is not very plausible for everyone to do (“The American Dream”).
For some Americans, having luxuries and leisure can be enough for them to say that they have achieved the dream.
Even if that is the case, it would still mean only a minority of people would experience the dream. Allison Kopicki and John Lapinski, two NBC reporters, state that nearly half of American voters are just barely making ends meet (only enough to pay bills and obligations, and not much more). An additional 17% express financial insecurity, stating that they do not make enough to pay their bills. This means that only a minority of Americans have enough money for luxuries. The reporters also state that 84% of the financially insecure say the dream is dead, as well as 49% of those with secure financial statuses. These large percentages indicate that people generally do not see the relevance of the American dream anymore
(Kopicki).
In the reality of the United States today, the idea that success can be earned by anyone, regardless of financial backgrounds, is simply improbable. America is in no condition to attempt to keep people’s hope up. As Kopicki and Lapinski state, “Donald Trump’s slogan ‘Making America Great Again’ is definitely resonating with those who are more pessimistic.” Even one of the leading candidates for U.S. presidency admits that America has not been in good circumstances lately. In the midst of poor outlook for the future, widespread economic disarray, and an generally pessimistic view about the country, it is obvious that the American Dream is no longer relevant in America.