America, Where Are You?

The American Dream is one of those terms that people refer to when talking about immigration, financial status, and so much more. But what does the term really refer to? People used to think of the American Dream as financial prosperity, religious and financial freedom, and all around success. Now, the term may mean something similar, but people are much less focused on it. If anything, the American Dream today is focused on gaining material goods and proving your bank account is larger than your neighbors. With today’s economy, laws and regulations, immigration customs, and overall attitude towards work, people are seldom focused on achieving the American Dream.

The term “American Dream” is defined as an idea which believes that all people have the possibility of prosperity and success. The idea first came from James Adams, a noted American writer and historian. He claimed, “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.” Therefore, the core concepts of the American Dream were closely linked to hard work and opportunity.

“The American Dream” as defined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. Truslow states "life should be worse and poorer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence which proclaims that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The American Dream is viewed by many Americans as not

The society’s American dream today is wealth and being able to graduate college with little to no debt and be able to afford health care and still live a comfortable life. This is a struggle for most citizens in the world and it probably will be an issue for many more years. These Days Americans also take our rights and privileges for granted because they are selfish and unwilling to treat citizens or the world how it should be treated.

"Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement," James Truslow Adams. The American Dream is a national culture of the United States, the appointed of goals, which freedom consists of the opportunity for prosperity and success, and a greater social mobility for families and children, accomplished through hard work in a society with less obstacles. I seek to pursue the American Dream, because it contains everything our country is about. Democracy, Rights, Liberty, Opportunity, and Equality are important to “we the people,” because they mean a government by the people, freedom from control, a chance, and everyone is treated the

Everything in life has its flaws but it’s when and where those flaws are that counts. The United States educational system is no exception to this and it shows the most through both test scores and statistics. This problem is easily noticeable when you take into account of how well the other countries around the world have been doing in comparison of the United States. Like most things however you can fix a problem by going to the source of it and many sources are saying the that the sources of this problem is at home. They believe that this is the source due to how much it affects kids both mentally and psychologically. Other problems like teenage dropouts and pregnancy are also major problems affecting school. Teens that dropout say that

The parents need to be involved. They need to help them outside of school. Also most parents for the lower or middle class have no college experience which hurts some kids because they have a lack of advice going into a new experience. Public schools are also closing very often because a lack of funds. Schools are also having the problem of being over-populated. It hurts the kids because they are not getting in individual attention from the teacher. In some cases the classroom settings can not keep up with the kids. Since some kids go home and play games making them smarter so when they enter the classroom the kid might be way advanced compared to classroom thus the school is behind. Teachers have a lack of educating some kids in different ways. If a kid is confused and does not understand the teachers are not prepared to teach some of them. Different methods need to be taught to the teacher sos those who do not understand can be taught like everyone else. Another major problem with the Education system is that 4/5 students graduate high schools but less than half have a plan afterwards. (SOURCE Lynch). Also with education, The classes that provide higher level education (colleges) should not stick people in classrooms but give them real life situations. So the kids will learn how to deal with real life situations instead of pre-programmed stuff that will teach them nothing. We need to start getting kids out and learning how it works so they have experience and when they get their jobs they will be prepared to succeed in their field. We need to incorporate new experiments and make them more ready for the future. (SOURCE Gerber) Another issue with higher education graduation rates are decreasing. We are now lower than the national average. Our student loan debt is increasing. Faculty and administrators are now trying to make a way to decrease this problem (SOURCE Arena). Also entrepreneurship is on the rise.

Since 1776, the “American Dream” has continued to evolve. Originally, our forefathers intended the American Dream to be a country where individuals were free from the tyranny of royalty and nobility, working as a part of a whole, making everyone comfortable and happy - all men created equal with equal opportunity. Over the years, this original intent has continued to change. In 1931, James Truslow Adams stated that the American Dream means that, “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (Wikipedia, May 19, 2016). Today, dictionary.com defines the American Dream as, “a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the United States” (May 19, 2016). To a young person growing up in an ever-changing, global society, the American Dream means finding a way to live comfortably the way you grew up, trying to do a little bit better than your parents did so you could give your own children a good life. This includes a house, cars, and other material comforts that have become integrated into American society. The American Dream not only still exists, but is also attainable for all. If an individual is able to work hard, if one is able to harness their creativity, or even if one finds “other” means, the American Dream is within reach, as shown in the novel, The Great Gatsby, as well as in other forms of popular American media.

Today, many people living in or immigrating to America come in search of the American Dream. The American Dream as proclaimed in Declaration for Independence states that “all men have the right to liberty, life and the pursuit of happiness since they are equal” (Declaration of Independence1). People are looking to make the best out of their lives by achieving their goals in relation to their American dreams. It entails pursuit of freedom, opportunity, equality and happiness. Thus, the American dream is real and exists for those persistent enough to see it be realized.

"It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." The Pursuit of the American dream has been rooted in our Declaration of Independence which states, “All men are created equal, with the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. The American Dream was given a definition in 1931, by Truslow Adams. What is the American Dream? It is connected to wealth and hard work that enables one to achieve anything? Past individuals believe the dream is considerably beyond materialism; it is the aspiration of living a

Quoted in an online article, “According to People’s Daily Online, an estimated 40% of students do not make it into any university at all, much less a prestigious school, because their test scores are too low” (n.d., para. 8).

American Dream: American ideal of a happy, successful life, which often includes wealth, a house, a better life for one’s children, and, for some, the opportunity to grow up to be president. In the United States, common questions pop up left and right; one seems to stand out the most to citizens: “What is the American Dream?” This question can be answered from completely different sides of the spectrum or seem to be quite similar, but not two answers will ever be exactly the same. With that being said, the older generations see the “American Dream” as something completely different from a twenty year olds’ generation. The definition above is found in a government textbook that was, more than likely, written by an older gentleman that generated

The American Dream is rooted in the Declaration of Independence. In particular, the part which states, (Century of Lawmaking 512) “all men are created equal.” The term American Dream was first used by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America, written in 1931. (goodreads 1) “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." Our Democracy and the freedom, liberty, rights, and so on, that it provides to every individual is the stepping stone of The American Dream. On its surface, The American Dream may seem like it has adjusted itself accordingly from generation to generation; however, under the surface their lies dark realities of its failures. The ideology of The American Dream and reality of its failures are woven into the fabric of our society, as well as, our economic and political institutions.

With the current global economic climate, it seems apparent that the now established education system is unable to meet the needs of our hyper-connected society, a society that is in a constant state of evolution. Let’s examine some problems that prevent de US education system from regaining its former preeminence.

The American Dream is an American ideology, in which everyone in the U.S. is able to reach with hardworking and dedication, and has been interrogated into our politics, economy, and social system. Some want to achieve economic prosperity, some just want religious freedom, some simply want to give their children a better chance at life than they had themselves, and others have different views on the American Dream. However, because the Dream has been integrated into our political, economical, and social systems so deeply, it is nearly impossible for many to reach the Dream. This is especially true when you input factors such as gender, age, and, race. The American Dream has also changed, as many younger citizens no longer want to be millionaires and much rather be able to pay off student debts. In order the give a full analysis of the American Dream, an in depth look into the political, economical, and social aspects of it must be done, and this is because all three aspects are intertwined together.