Survey: Half of US Citizens No Longer Believe in the 'American Dream'

Washington (ANTARA) - A poll conducted by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that United States citizens are increasingly losing confidence in their country’s exceptionalism and the ability to realise the ethos known as the ‘American Dream’.

The results of the poll, released on Monday, indicate that approximately 30 per cent of American respondents believe there are countries better than the United States. This figure represents a 19 per cent increase from respondents who held that view in a June 2016 survey.

Furthermore, 44 per cent of respondents consider the US to be one of the great nations in the world alongside several other countries, whereas a survey conducted a decade ago showed that 55 per cent of respondents held this view.

Approximately half of the respondents stated that the principle of the ‘American Dream’—where hard work is a guaranteed path to success—is no longer valid. Specifically, 34 per cent of Americans believe that the principle was once achievable, while 15 per cent argue that it was never successful to begin with.

In the same survey, only 22 per cent of respondents under the age of 30 believe the ‘American Dream’ is still attainable, compared to 46 per cent of Americans over the age of 60.

The survey indicates that many respondents link this decline to the high cost of living, housing prices, and difficulties in pursuing careers in America.

The survey was conducted online and via telephone between 16-20 April among 2,596 American adults, with a margin of error of 2.6 per cent.