The American Dream remains worth pursuing, but restoring faith in it requires experienced people to help the next generation find realistic ways forward. Telling young Americans to work harder offers little direction without guidance on where to begin, how to assess risk, and what to do when a plan fails. I believe that passing on that knowledge should be part of our responsibility to those starting out.
Only one-third of Americans believe the American Dream still holds true, according to the June 2026 AP-NORC America 250 poll. Half believe it once did but no longer does. The survey defines the dream as the belief that working hard will help a person get ahead.
In the year of America’s 250th anniversary, those findings deserve attention. That loss of confidence should concern anyone who wants the next generation to build a future here. Yet a poll about belief cannot determine what any individual might achieve.
We should take the pessimism seriously while resisting the assumption that it settles the question of what remains possible. Doing so requires honesty about the obstacles. The Federal Reserve’s May 2025 household well-being report found that inflation and prices remained Americans’ leading financial concern in 2024.
Encouragement cannot pay rent or cover training costs. Mentorship cannot replace efforts to address those pressures, and advice loses credibility when it dismisses the conditions people face. In conversations with my children, I have heard uncertainty extend beyond careers.
One of my sons questioned whether he should have children because of his concerns about the world’s future. His experience cannot speak for a generation, but it has made the stakes personal for me. Hope matters to the lives people allow themselves to imagine.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
