A Wall Street Journal poll recently revealed that only 36% of Americans believe in the American dream. But is that right?
Amidst the buzz of this poll, Our America’s National Director Gabriel Nadales shines a light on the nuanced nature of the American Dream.
“While at first glance, these numbers may be alarming, the reality of the situation is much more nuanced,” he wrote in The Hill.
In that piece, Gabriel argues that the Wall Street Journal poll salted the pot by defining the American dream in terms of economic mobility and “getting ahead.”
“The American Dream is not about money or getting ahead in life. The American Dream is about living your life to the fullest – that is attaining your personal goals unrestrained by the government.”
Nadales went on to point to a 2019 survey conducted by the American Enterprise Institute which found that more than 82% of Americans had achieved, or were well on their way to achieving, the American Dream.
The study further found that “Only 16% of Americans believe that the American Dream means to become wealthy.” Contrary to popular belief, a staggering 85% associate the Dream with something deeper, “having the freedom of choice in how to live one’s life.”
Yet, Nadales doesn’t stop at the statistics; he takes a journey into the “why” behind these numbers. Exploring these disparate beliefs, he suggests factors like weather, cost of living, and crime rates play pivotal roles in shaping perspectives.
Ultimately, as Gabriel explains “The American Dream isn’t complicated. It is a pretty simple maxim – it is the promise that you can chart your own destiny,” he declares.
In the grand narrative of the American Dream, Nadales introduces a crucial character – government.
“When Americans have the freedom to chart their destiny, the happier and more fulfilled everyone will be,” he asserts. Government can be a critical factor in how much freedom they have in that critical task.
You can read his entire piece on the Hill by clicking here.
