Introduction
If one looks carefully at today’s reality of America, one might think that the idea of the American dream is dead. Instead, it has been consistently becoming so unattainable that one might question whether it is possible to achieve it at all. Christopher Jenkcs (2008) discusses a similar idea in his essay “Reinventing the American Dream.” He believes that there are two versions of the American Dream, which reflect the points of view of the Republicans and the Democrats (Jencks, 2008).
The Republican version is based on the exploitation of others, while the Democrat version is based on working hard and living decently (Jencks, 2008). Both, however, are based on material values and need to be entirely reinvented for America to prosper (Jencks, 2008). I agree with the author and believe that the current versions of the American Dream do not correlate with building a sustainable and prosperous future. The American Dream should be based on reaching prosperity for the country and not just for separate individuals.
Problems of the American Dream
The Reality of Inequality
The first problem is that the current versions of the American Dream go against the reality of inequality rampant in the United States in the last decades. As Jencks (2008) states, before the 1970s, it was still possible to compensate for the financial growth of the richest with the income growth of blue-collar workers through fast economic growth. However, after 1973, when an economic crisis hit the planet and America in particular, the growth slowed.
He says: “America had a choice. We would have tried to share the pain equally by maintaining the social contract under which living standards had risen at roughly the same rate among families at all levels.” (Jencks, 2008, par. 11). However an opposite choice was made and the gap between the reach and people experiencing poverty started broadening, which made the idea of the attainability of the Democrat American Dream absurd.
The Impact of Educational Attainment
Educational attainment is another issue with the idea of the American dream and the country’s reality. A decent standard of life, implied in the Democrat version of the American Dream, cannot be provided without ensuring that all citizens have equal access to higher education. A society is more prosperous and advanced when a high percentage of its residents have graduated from university, and individuals have more opportunities in life when they have a college degree.
Jencks (2008) emphasizes, however, that since 1973, higher education has been one of the most neglected areas regarding budgeting. He says: “Even expenditures per student on K-through-12 education have risen faster than expenditures per student on higher education” (Jencks, 2008, par. 22). A country that does not prioritize higher education cannot ensure prosperity in the long run.
Governmental Failure to Ensure Decent Living Conditions
Finally, the current level of governmental regulation does not ensure decent living conditions. Moreover, the two American dream versions cannot coexist with one level of control. As Jencks (2008) states, Democrats have agreed with Republicans on leaving the market to self-regulate, which, in the end, led to the level of disparities growing. It is virtually impossible to satisfy the American Dream, both the ordinary people and the top 5% simultaneously, hoping the market will allow that to happen.
Conclusion
In summary, the modern conceptions of the American Dream are incompatible with the goal of creating a just and sustainable society. The focus is still on individuals, either achieving success in exploiting others or living with dignity. The focus of the new ideology, however, should be on the collective good and on creating a prosperous future for all. The American Dream should belong to all Americans, not just some.
Reference
Jencks, C. (2008). Reinventing the American Dream. In M. Connelly (Ed.), The Sundance Writer (p. 330). Wadsworth Publishing.
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