American Dream Is Dying?
Well here are some discouraging stats from a new Pew poll:
Only 32% of Americans consider their own personal finances excellent or good, a nine point decline from last year and 23 points lower than 2007.
68% of respondents feel they have achieved or will achieve the American dream.But when asked if their kids will have a higher standard of living than they currently enjoy, only 47% said yes. That's down from 62% in 2009.
Somehow, CNN reports this as "Americans are down in the dumps about their personal finances, but still think the American dream is alive and kicking."
Math is hard, I know, but if we have a 15 point drop on a question about whether one's kids will have a higher standard of living than their current situation ... and if that 15 point drop takes place over the course of two years, that does not mean that the "American dream is alive and kicking." More like "declining in health with alarming speed."
For what it's worth, 80% of Americans say government is ineffective at helping poor and middle class. You don't say. These are incredibly tough numbers for an incumbent president, aren't they?
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Comments :
Feb '11
Re: American Dream Is Dying?
They seem to be. But it might make a difference just how resigned to a dismal future we become. We have plenty of folks on the Left and Right who see the future as pretty hopeless.
Feb '11
Re: American Dream Is Dying?
There is a lot of economic pain, coupled with bleak views of the future---the danger is that it will turn into a kind of generalized resentment directed against "them" rather than a true understanding of what the policies are that are causing the harm and who the people and entities are that are propagating such politcies.
Re: American Dream Is Dying?
Dreadful numbers, indeed. It will take the Republican Party to rescue him. Enter Mitt Romney.
Feb '11
Re: American Dream Is Dying?
What happened to the Paul Rahe that believed Obama would move the country so far Left that it would backfire and turn Right? Surely if Romney were the Republican nominee that would be impossible.
Aug '10
Re: American Dream Is Dying?
The nation is schizophrenic now, or the polls are totally bogus. It's blindingly obvious that ObamaScare and Democrat policies across the board are failing, yet polls show 46% approval for the architects of this disaster. A FoxNews poll yesterday showed 56% approval!
How to account for this? Denial, shock, fear, magical thinking...?
May '10
Re: American Dream Is Dying?
The counter to that is Matt Ridley, regarding the world at large.
Our problem is that the way to be noticed and elected in today's world, not to mention how to get ratings on TV, is to point to all the gloom and doom- "...if it bleeds, it leads." I recall the old "Peanuts" strip where Lucy was yelling: "Floods! Fire! and Famine! Doom! Defeat! and Despair!" And Linus wondered why everyone questioned his use of the security blanket.
Ben Wattenberg and Michael Medved are the only public intellectuals I think of off-hand when the subject of balanced optimism arises, and among politicians, the shining examples were President Reagan and Jack Kemp.
Just look at people most beloved here- we go nuts over those who confront, e.g., Chris Christie, not the policy wonks (Paul Ryan has the ability to do both; he can confront without being blustery). If you are solution-oriented instead of proclaiming imminent disaster, you are 1) reamed out for compromising, or 2) ignored as being "bland".
Standard political theater does not promote optimism, even where it is merited.
Re: American Dream Is Dying?
River: The nation is schizophrenic now, or the polls are totally bogus. It's blindingly obvious that ObamaScare and Democrat policies across the board are failing, yet polls show 46% approval for the architects of this disaster. A FoxNews poll yesterday showed 56% approval!
How to account for this? Denial, shock, fear, magical thinking...? · May 19 at 11:33am
It could also be bad polling ...
Aug '10
Re: American Dream Is Dying?
I am surprised this topic hasn't gotten more interest. The article reveals the presuppositions that lead to the polls results:
"The poll...reveals that Americans from both political parties think the government should play an active role in promoting economic mobility."
"Eighty-three percent of Americans support a government role in promoting upward economic mobility. Ninety-one percent of Democrats, 84% of independents and 73% of Republicans say so.
And 58% think government could do even more to keep them from falling behind."
Those quotes are appalling! With over half of our population thinking, at a minimum, that it is governments job to keep them from falling behind, is it any wonder that we have the debt we have?
We have discovered that we can help ourselves to the public largesse and will continue to do so. I know I sound like a one note gong lately but our moral capacity to say "no" to a bill of goods presented as the American Dream, will be our downfall.