The American Dream

Question 1

Where does it come from and what does it mean?

Answer 1

• term coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931
• set of expectations and beliefs that made people want to come to the USA + shaped what people who lived there thought about their own country

Question 2

What are the expectations and beliefs?

Answer 2

• success is only related to personal effort and skills
• mobility is high
• In every generation children will live better than their parents did

Question 3

What are common references?

Answer 3

• “Land of opportunity”
• “from rags to riches”
• “work hard and you’ll make it

Question 4

What do statistics say that have disproven the American Dream?

Answer 4

• success in America is now a matter of choosing the right parents
  => nearly 2/3 of children born to parents in the bottom fifth of income remain stuck in the lowest 2/5 as adults
• in most European countries children born near the bottom now have a better chance of reaching the top than the United States

Question 5

What are positive concepts connected to the American Dream?

Answer 5

• Progress
• Manifest Destiny
• Democracy
• Melting Pot
• Frontiers
• Success

Question 6

Elaborate on the aspect “Progress” and name the negative aspect connected to it.

Answer 6

• technological progress and things will get better
• decadence

Question 7

Elaborate on the aspect “Manifest Destiny” and name the negative aspect connected to it.

Answer 7

• religios idea: God has chosen the USA to be the best country
• arrogance

Question 8

Elaborate on the aspect “Democracy” and name the negative aspect connected to it.

Answer 8

• only form of government that works with the AD
• broken Democracy

Question 9

Elaborate on the aspect “Melting Pot” and name the negative aspect connected to it.

Answer 9

• people from different backgrounds come together and are melted together to one identity
• racism

Question 10

Elaborate on the aspect “Frontiers” and name the negative aspect connected to it.

Answer 10

• going to “uninhapited” land and setting up civlisation
• imperialistic idea

Question 11

Elaborate on the aspect “Success” and name the negative aspect connected to it.

Answer 11

• achieving a lifestyle you wished for (f.e.: House, family, dog…)
• materialism

Question 12

What is the Foundation of the American Dream?

Answer 12

• Declaration of Independence (1776): “All men are created equal”, right to “Life,Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”
• Constitution (1789): “We the People”, Bill of Rights, Amendments

Question 13

What are the goals of the American Dream?

Answer 13

• Prosperity (wealth but not necessarily riches)
• freedom
• equal rights for everyone

Question 14

Is the American Dream dead or alive? Name arguments supporting that it is alive

Answer 14

• lots of Americans still believe in it (37%)
• there is no specific definition of the AD
• Good political conditions (democracy)
• still an important concept (a reference/ ideal rather than an actual fact
• USA still attracts people (well-functioning compared to other countries)

Question 15

Is the American Dream dead or alive? Name arguments supporting that it is dead

Answer 15

• the idea of the AD is disproven by statistics (success in the US is a matter of choosing the right parents)
• Life expectancy in the US has dropped drasticly over the past 5 years
• material AD of house, car etc increasingly difficult to attain (high house prises vs. low income + good education required to get well-paying job)
• ideas of equality, equal chances, and openess of the USA not fulfilled
• Culture Wars and partisanship spoil democracy