According to a new poll, only about one-quarter of US citizens feel that the ‘American dream’ of success through hard effort is still true, a drop of nearly half since 2010.
According to an ABC News/Ipsos survey issued on Monday, only 27% of Americans believe in the American dream, which is defined as “If you work hard, you’ll get ahead.” This compares to 50% when the same poll was conducted in the aftermath of the global financial crisis 13 years ago.
While 52% of US adults believe the American dream “once held true but does not anymore,” up from 43% in 2010, those who say it “never held true” more than quadrupled, rising from 4% to 18%. That pessimistic perspective was most prominent among black Americans, with 32% believing the American dream was never realised, up from 11% in the prior study. Only 21% of black people believe in the possibility of success via hard work.
The grim results come as Americans become increasingly worried about their country’s future. According to a November poll, 76% of US people say the country is headed in the “wrong direction.” Respondents mentioned the economy and inflation as their top concerns.
The dissatisfied people may auger poorly for US President Joe Biden’s reelection bid later this year. Another poll taken earlier this month found that only 33% of Americans approve of Biden’s job performance, the lowest rating for any US president since at least 2008.
Young individuals in particular are experiencing a decline in their belief in the American Dream. According to the most recent survey, only 21% of US citizens under the age of 30 believe the dream still exists, down from 56% in 2010. In contrast, 41% of Americans 65 and older still believe in the American dream, a decrease from 53% prior.
Only 18% of US individuals with family earnings less than $50,000 per year feel they may achieve prosperity via hard effort. However, even among those making more than $100,000 a year, just one in three respondents still believes in the American dream.
