Americans No Longer Have Faith in the American Dream
A recent poll shows that many Americans no longer believe in the promise of the “American dream.”
According to a Wall Street Journal–NORC survey conducted in July 2025, nearly seven in ten registered voters said the notion that “hard work leads to success” is no longer true—or was never true to begin with. The Journal noted that this is the highest level of skepticism recorded in almost 15 years of tracking the question.
When broken down further, 46 percent of respondents said the principle may have applied in the past but no longer does, while 23 percent said it was never real. That last figure marks a five-point rise compared with the previous two years of surveys.
The poll also revealed a sharp divide along party lines. Among Democrats, nine in ten expressed a bleak outlook for their own futures and those of their children. In contrast, just over half of Republicans—55 percent—shared the same pessimism.
Across age groups and demographics, respondents worried that younger generations will face greater struggles than their parents did, particularly when it comes to purchasing homes, saving for retirement, or starting families and businesses. Many felt that earlier generations had it easier in achieving those milestones.
Driving this discontent is a mismatch between official economic indicators and the lived reality of ordinary people. That gap between statistics and daily experience helped fuel the return of Donald Trump to the presidency, with his promise to rebuild the economy—even as his policies have unsettled global markets.
The poll also recorded a decline in belief in American exceptionalism. Only 17 percent of respondents said the United States has the world’s strongest economy, while 40 percent thought other countries were doing better—a 15-point jump since 2021.
