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REVIEWED BY ADAM
BARONE
What Is the American Dream?
The American Dream
is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by
chance.
American Dream
Understanding the American Dream
The term was coined
by writer and historian James Truslow Adams in his
best-selling 1931 book "Epic of America."
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."
Adams went on to explain, "It is a difficult dream
for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us
ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars
and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each
woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately
capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the
fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."
The idea of the
American Dream has much deeper roots.
Its tenets can be found in the Declaration of Independence,
which states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
In a society based
on these principles, an individual can live life to its fullest as he or she
defines it.
America also grew
mostly as a nation of immigrants who created a nation where becoming an
American — and passing that citizenship to your children — didn't require being
the child of an American.
The Advantages of the American Dream
Achieving the
American Dream requires political and economic freedom, as well as rules of law
and private property rights.
Without them,
individuals cannot make the choices that will permit them to attain success,
nor can they have confidence that their achievements will not be taken away
from them through arbitrary force.
The American Dream
promises freedom and equality. It offers the freedom to make both the large and
small decisions that affect one’s life, the freedom to aspire to bigger and better
things and the possibility of achieving them, the freedom to accumulate wealth,
the opportunity to lead a dignified life, and the freedom to live in accordance
with one’s values — even if those values are not widely held or accepted.
[Important: The
American Dream also offers the promise that the circumstances of someone's
birth — including whether they were born American citizens or immigrants — do
not completely determine their future.]
The books of
post-Civil War writer Horatio Alger, in which impoverished but hardworking
teenage boys rise to success through pluck, determination, and good fortune, came to personify
realizing the Dream.
Special Considerations
Today, home
ownership is frequently cited as an example of attaining the American Dream.
It is a symbol of
financial success and independence, and it means the ability to control one’s
own dwelling place instead of being subject to the whims of a landlord.
Owning a business
and being one’s own boss also represent American Dream fulfillment.
In addition, access
to education and healthcare have been cited as elements of the Dream.
In "Spreading
the American Dream: American Economic and Cultural Expansion, 1890-1945,"
sociologist Emily S. Rosenberg identifies five components of the American Dream
that have shown up in countries around the world.
These include the
following:
· The belief that other nations should replicate America's development
· Faith in a free market economy
· Support for free trade
agreements and foreign direct investment
· Promotion of a free flow of information and culture
· Acceptance of government protection of private enterprise
The American Dream
was aided by a number of factors that gave the United States a competitive
advantage over other countries.
For starters, it is
relatively isolated geographically, compared to many other countries, and
enjoys a temperate climate.
It has a culturally
diverse population that businesses use to foster innovation in a global landscape.
Abundant natural
resources — including oil, arable land, and long coastlines — generate
food and income for the country and its residents.
Criticism of the American Dream
Terming it a
"dream" also carries with it the notion that these ideals aren't necessarily
what has played out in the lives of many actual Americans and those who hope to
become Americans.
The criticism that
reality falls short of the American Dream is at least as
old as the idea itself.
The spread of
settlers into Native American lands, slavery, the limitation of the vote
(originally) to white male landowners, and a long list of other injustices and
challenges have undermined the realization of the Dream for many who live in
the United States.
As income
inequality has increased substantially since the 1970s, the American Dream has
begun to seem less attainable for those who aren't already affluent or born
into affluence.
According to U.S. Census family income data, real family
income began to grow much more among the top income group than among other
segments of American society.
For example, the
Federal Reserve's 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances shows that the top 10% of
the income distribution earned roughly a quarter of all income and held more
than three-quarters of all wealth.
These realities,
however, do not diminish the luster of the American Dream as an ideal and a
beacon to all nations.
Key Takeaways
· The term was coined in a best-seller in 1931, "Epic
of America."
· James Truslow Adams 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."
· The American Dream was aided by a number of factors that
gave the United States a competitive advantage over other countries.
· Homeownership and education are often seen as paths to
achieving the American Dream.
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