For many, the American Dream is associated with the ability to make gains based on hard work, in much of a rags to riches way. However, the dream now associated with equal opportunity to get ahead is dead, in same ways regressing the country to the early 19th century in which there was a small circle of extremely wealthy robber barons and the majority of people were very poor. The Progressive Era changed all of that, and throughout the mid and late 20th century the American Dream was very possible. Regardless, due to the fact that most of the resources vital to success are now owned by the top 1% the traditional American Dream is a concept that is only accessible to the wealthy of American society. This allows the affluent to make investments
The opposite claim, as it were, is that the gap in income levels does not necessarily prevent the lower and middle classes from achieving the American Dream and that the supremely rich are a necessary fixation in the United States because they employ so many people. Therefore, the stability of the economy requires this inequality. In an essay written by Brandon King, who believes that the American Dream is still fully obtainable by all classes, he says, “...We should keep in mind the ways in which large businesses and financial insti-tutions enable many others to attain economic stability and security.” Although this view is very understandable and yes, the economy does partially rely on people of wealth for business, the excess wealth of those that own most of the money in the United States (not those of moderate wealth, but those who own the majority of it) is unnecessary and unbeneficial to the rest of the country. The majority find themselves unable to gain enough footing to provide themselves with the requisite materials to catch up to a world in which the list of imperative resources for success keeps growing longer and the ability to acquire these things keeps getting
Growing up in The United States, people are given this idea of an American Dream. Almost every child is raised to believe they can become and do anything they want to do, if one works hard enough. However, a majority of people believe that there is a separation of class in American society. Gregory Mantsios author of “Class in America-2009” believes that Americans do not exchange thoughts about class division, although most of people are placed in their own set cluster of wealth. Also political officials are trying to get followers by trying to try to appeal to the bulk of the population, or the middle class, in order to get more supporters. An interesting myth that Mantsios makes in his essay is how Americans don’t have equal opportunities.
The phrase “The American Dream” is an incredible thing. The promise of that dream has convinced hundreds of millions of people that, as a citizen of this country, you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough. Whether you want to be a doctor, athlete, or even a president, those things should all be within your reach, regardless of your class or race! America is the nation where dreams can come true. Unfortunately, for a large number of people that believe this, this is a concept that does not apply to them. Many Americans find opportunities are denied to them because of their race. Others can be found living in poverty and far from anything that would be considered desirable. Statistics show that the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans earned 9 percent of all U.S. income in 1979. Did you know that the same 1 percent earns 24 percent of all U.S. income today? That is a staggering example of the income inequality in America. The American Dream is that if you work hard and have the ability you will succeed, but that has become an impossibility for millions of disadvantaged Americans because the income inequality has been steadily increasing since the 1970s and racism and poverty are constant barriers to their success and financial security.
Brandon King in “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” redefines the American dream as something people can strive for. “I believe that the ideas and value of the American dream are still very much live”. People still believe in the American dream, despite recession, economic hardship, and high unemployment. The real sign of success in our society used to be owning expensive items, named cars, and homes and acquiring more material wealth. Today, most people do not strive for a rags-to-rich tradition, and instead prefer a stable, middle class lifestyle, one in which they can focus on saving money for the future and having secure employment. Due to these economy issues, two main approaches mentioned can be mad to fix the economy: minimize the income gap between social classes by raising taxes on the rich, and providing money and incentives to large businesses and wall street to hire more workers and increasing wages, which king agreed with. King also claims that American dreams aren’t necessary about income gap and class system, but rather how each individual can achieve their own American dream if they can. Redefining affects his argument because Robert Reich and Paul Krugman have hope in the American Dream, they argue that since income and wealth primarily focused on the rich, the lower and middle class are not able to effectively progress in the economy and require equal distribution in income.
In today's society, the American dream is hindered by issues involving gender discrimination, racial discrimination, and weak economic mobility. The influence of money has broadened in our society, creating an elite group of winners, and leaving the rest as losers. Our government has been intoxicated under the influence of those holding a paper with a handful of zeros scrawled on it.
The American Dream is known to be a hope for a better, richer, happier life for all citizens of every class. For almost all Americans, this entails earning a college degree, gaining a good job, buying a house, and starting a family. Although this seems wonderful, a large amount of the American population believes that the Dream has changed immensely because of increased prices in today’s society, the price of tuition being highly unaffordable, as well as the unemployment rate skyrocketing and weaker job growth. While some American citizens believe it has changed, others believe that the American Dream has not changed, but point out it is harder to obtain.
The American Dream, recognized as being the earning of a college degree, the owning of one 's own home, taking vacations and experiencing upward social mobility, is a very important belief that helped create the success that America is today. Many people believe that anyone who works hard and has determination can achieve this American Dream. In this day and age, experiencing the American Dream is believed to no longer be as available to Americans as it once was. The economy and corporate America have had a strong impact on the availability to reach this state of success. Everyone wants to live the American Dream, whether they know it or not. I have never met a person who did not want to become successful. Even I had a strong belief that the
In 1931, James Truslow Adam, an American writer and historian, created the term ‘American Dream’. The American Dream promises equal chance to gain success in any desired way, regardless of gender, race, nationality, or any other form of discrimination to each individual. However, there is a debate that the American Dream is not available to everyone, as they are incapable of jumping the incredible hurdle of poverty. Over 43 million people in the United States of America live on less than a dollar and twenty-five cents a day. In 1966, US president Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty, similar to President Nixon’s war on drugs. At the beginning of the War on Poverty, the poverty rate was 14.7%. America’s official poverty rate today is
People who work hard enough become successful and build a good life for themselves and their family. Millions of Americans and others who admire America have believed this for generations. However, is this still true? Brandon King debates his interpretation of the American Dream in his published work, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” During his essay, the speaker highlights how important the American Dream is to the economy and providing a distance from inequality. The speaker emphasizes his belief that the American Dream is still alive within America and that people must work hard to achieve it. When discussing the American Dream, King will agree that the idea is alive and thriving in the minds of Americans; yet, I argue that the idea is on hold within American society due to lack of upward social independence and economic mobility.
The American Dream is so important to our country and especially for our generation to take seriously. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life you have always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. The American Dream was much easier to attain a few decades ago compared to today. However, it is still possible. The economy was better fifty years ago than it is today. People are in greater debt now and the United States is in higher debt than it was fifty years ago. The American Dream is still possible despite the lack of improvement within social mobility in American society over the past years. The American dream is achievable by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and that lifestyle is obtainable through hard work and perseverance, even in light of obstacles such as racism. “The American Dream is still achievable, however, the good news is that people at the bottom are just as likely to move up the income ladder today as they were 50 years ago” (O’Brien 1). The ability to attain the American Dream is hindered by race, the middle class, and giving up facing adversity.
... continuous injustice in financial prospect because the top dogs are too occupied with new ways of making money for themselves while the rest of America are focused on putting a roof over their heads or feeding the entire family. For few fortunate individuals, they will be able to accomplish their ultimate American Dream; however, most Americans will often shun away for the life time of financial progression. Like George Carlin, a comedian once said during his stand up show about the American Dream, “The owners in this country know the truth, it is called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.” In reality, when the prospects of the American Dream is ignored by our society, dreams often become unfilled and expectations for superior life turn out to be a sham, an enduring nightmare for most people in the pursuit for their American dream.
Income inequality has affected American citizens ever since the American Dream came into existence. The American Dream is centered around the concept of working hard and earning enough money to support a family, own a home, send children to college, and invest for retirement. Economic gains in income are one of the only possible ways to achieve enough wealth to fulfill the dream. Unfortunately, many people cannot achieve this dream due to low income. Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income and wealth between the social classes of American citizens.
What is the American Dream? The American Dream is a multifaceted concept providing each individual with hope of a better life than his or her previous generation. According Brandon King, Americans today have redefined what the American Dream is. The American Dream concept is a transition from rags-to-riches. However, King argues that people today favor a steady middle-class life. Still, King is one out of roughly 320 million people in the United States; therefore that assumption may not be so reliable. There are others who may still believe in the dream of a land that allows the shift from rags-to-riches or others that may have lost faith in this dream as well. It seems that in recent years, the so-called “American
When the term ‘American Dream’ was first mentioned in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, he described it as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” (Clark). When Adams mentioned the term, it had much more of an idealistic meaning, rather than the materialistic meaning it has in modern society. At the time of it’s mention, the dream meant that prosperity was available to everyone. In the beginning, the American Dream simply promised a country in which people had the chance to work their way up through their own labor and hard work (Kiger). Throughout history, the basis of the dream has always been the same for each individual person. It
The American Dream was and always will be something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America alone needs is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows any one that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out the individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that every one can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great. In America, the American Dream allows dreams to become realities. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as "An American social ideal that' stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity". To live this dream is to succeed. It allows anyone, rich or poor to have the opportunity to succeed. It is the ability to come from nothing and become so me thing. To succeed at any thing you do, you must have patience and persistence. It requires hard work, persistence and a desire for something better. To have these qualities and the desire and ambition to carry the moutis part of the American Dream.
The application of the American dream varies from person to person. People with the dream of becoming the next Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Ben Carson, or Barack Obama, have the opportunity to do so in America by the solemn pledge of America’s promises: the promise of economic wealth, the promise of fair enterprise, and the promise to pursue happiness without obstacles. Some people will only aspire to mediocrity and really if that's their dream so be it. But, it is those who strive above the rest that will change our