Essay On Barriers To The American Dream

Two-thirds of the American people say the American Dream is becoming harder to achieve, especially for young families, and they point to financial insecurity and poor quality public education as the most significant barriers, according to a new survey released today by the National League of Cities (NLC).
The survey, conducted in August by KRC Research, found that more than one in three Americans feel that they are not living the American Dream and nearly half think it is unattainable for them. The survey also shows considerable growth in the number of people who say government makes it more difficult to achieve the American Dream. Since 2001, there has been an 11 percent increase in the number of Americans who say the government is more of a hindrance than a help.
“America has always had a
- Democrats (79%) and Independents (75%) are more likely to say the American Dream is harder for young families to achieve than Republicans (56%).
Lack of Quality Education, Financial Security Top Concerns: A lack of quality public education and uncertainty over financial security top the list of barriers to the American Dream. Caucasian (27%) and Hispanic (29%) adults cite poor quality of education as the main barrier, with African-Americans more likely to report racial or ethnic discrimination as the main obstacle (28%).
Barriers to the American Dream
Government as Help or Hindrance: A solid majority of all Americans (72%) believe that the government should actively work to help people achieve the American Dream. This is particularly true of young people (90% of 18 to 22-year-olds agree). But almost half (45%) believe the government has done more to hinder their pursuit of the American Dream than help, up from 34% in 2001. Eighty-five percent say that local, state and federal government must work together to give people a fair shot at achieving the American