The American Dream is alive and well.
Two-thirds of US residents say they have either achieved the American Dream or are on their way to it, while a growing number believe it’s increasingly becoming a pipe dream, an America 250th anniversary survey found.
The patriotic poll revealed 67% of respondents have achieved or are pursuing the American Dream, 64% believe the land of opportunity can unite Americans, and 71% say they have similar or more opportunities than their parents, according to the survey conducted for the Archbridge Institute think tank.
Meanwhile, 73% of respondents said they’re proud to be an American, and 70% say being an American is an important part of their identity.
However, the findings also show that optimism in the American Dream has dropped this year, with pessimism reaching an all-time high — surging from 18% in 2022 to 233% this year — since Archbridge launched the annual survey in 2020.
And younger Americans are significantly more negative than older ones, according to the poll.
Likewise, while over 80% of Americans are hopeful about their own future, only 58% say the same for the US writ large.
Most Americans — 58% — believe in the American Dream while 41% do not.
But only 48% of respondents believe most Americans can achieve the dream, while 52% think it’s unreachable.
The “American Dream at 250” survey of 2,100 Americans — polled April 2-6 — also shows that US residents have concerns and struggles.
For example, 43% of respondents worry that Artificial Intelligence will hinder their ability to achieve the American Dream, while only 18% said it would help them. The remaining 39% believe it would have no effect.
Of those who said the American Dream is out of reach, nearly two-thirds of respondents cited economic barriers as the culprit — more than all of the other reasons given combined.
Still, 64% agree that the American Dream can unite Americans around a shared belief, regardless of their different backgrounds and viewpoints, compared to 35% who disagree.
“These are important challenges to address, as affordability issues have become widespread and are now a major source of concern across the political spectrum, with competing proposals for how best to address them,” the poll analysis said.
On the whole, a majority of residents view America optimistically, as if the glass is half-full.
“At 250 years old, the American Dream’s death is greatly exaggerated, and public opinion proves it,” said Gonzalo Schwarz, president and CEO of Archbridge.
“While Americans are increasingly pessimistic about affordability and AI in today’s America, there is still overwhelming consensus that the American Dream is achievable across demographic groups and regardless of political party. This bodes well for national unity.”
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