Is The American Dream Dead?
Camille Bay
10/12/14
10:30 a.m. Class
Debbie Cook
Is the
American Dream dead? Is it now unimaginable to work hard, give it your all, and
then advance farther than the generation before? According to the recent study published
by the Washington Post, and the CNN Research Corporation poll, Americans aren’t
so sure their children will have a better life than they do (Cillizza, 2014,
paragraph 1). In fact, in this recent study, a whopping 63 percent of Americans
believe that their children will be worse off than they are, and that the
American Dream, as they knew it, has become unattainable (Cillizza, 2014,
paragraph 2).
So, why is
this happening? Is there a significant reason or shift in our psychology to
make us believe in such a way? Well, there seems to be two particularly
interesting reasons why there has been a large loss of confidence in our land
of opportunity; and they are, first, a decline in faith in our social
institutions (like government and business) and second, an increased annual
pressure and financial hardship to the American people (due to bad economic
recessions and job-loss) (Cillizza, 2014, paragraph 3).
That’s
right, in mentioning the first point, it seems as though there is a very large
distrust in our country’s social institutions, especially when it comes to big
government and business. In fact, a very popular and renowned political
theorist named Ivan Krastev states that “the trust and efficiency of democracy
has begun to erode. People feel less like their vote matters – and that while
they may be able to change who is in
power, they are not able to affect what actions
their government takes – which in turn, leads to a decline in electoral
turnout, coupled with a growing sense of distrust of those in power” (Krastev,
posted by Torgovnick, 2012, How pervasive
has government distrust gotten?). Results like this, along with the
ever-growing distrust among greedy business tycoons as well, have led people to
feel uneasy and have fueled the belief that Americans can’t ever get ahead or
possibly ever work hard enough to fully achieve the American Dream.
Second, with
our last point, it seems as though the American people have faced an increased
burden and financial hardship these last few years due to an unfortunate set of
economic recessions and job-loss. (Cillizza, 2014, paragraph 3). In fact, in
another Washington Post article, written by the notable
business editor Saabira Chaudhuri, it explains a study that reveals how young
adults are being affected by this tough economy. It states that young Americans
today are more likely to be unemployed now than at any other time since World
War II and that 24 percent of young adults reported to have taken an unpaid job
to get experience, or 50 percent of them to have taken a job they didn’t want
in order to pay the bills (Chaudhuri, 2012, paragraphs 1 and 5).
With these
unfortunate results, it is easy to see why the American Dream is thought of as
an impossible goal, out of reach to the general public. Yet, despite the
growing distrust staggering numbers and percentages that continue to threaten
Americans, I believe that the American Dream still lives and that as long as
young and old Americans alike push forward, follow what they love, and truly
give it their all, despite the circumstances, they will most definitely succeed
in realizing the ultimate American Dream.
Works Cited
Chaudhuri, Saabira. (2012, February
9). Poor economy affecting young adults
beyond the scope of finding a job. The
Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/feb/09/young-adults-affected-had-economy
Cillizza, Chris. (2014, June 5). Is the American Dream Dead? The Washington
Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/06/05/is-the-american-dream-dead/
Krastev, Ivan; posted by Torgovnick,
Kate. (2012). How pervasive has
government distrust gotten? Retrieved from TED Blog website: http://www.blog.ted.com/2012/08/13/how-pervasive-has-government-distrust-gotten/
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