American Dream

The "American Dream" is a phrase referring to the national ethos of the United States: that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life. The tenets of the American Dream originate from the Declaration of Independence, which states "all men are created equal", and have an inalienable right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". The Preamble to the Constitution states similarly that the Constitution's purpose is to, in part, "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity". The phrase was popularized by James Truslow Adams during the Great Depression in 1931; Adams defines 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. [...] 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. However, the term has evolved over time to have different connotations. Originally, the emphasis was on democracy, liberty, and equality, but more recently has been on achieving success, which is typically exemplified by attaining material wealth as well as upward social mobility. There is some evidence that in recent decades, social mobility in the United States has declined and income inequality has risen. Social mobility is lower in the US than in many European countries, especially the Nordic countries. Despite this, many Americans are likely to believe they have a better chance of social mobility than that of the Europeans. However, recent empirical research on public opinion has found that...