Introduction
We don’t wake up every day thinking about the American Dream, but as America approaches its 250th birthday, we seem to be debating it more than ever.
Does the dream still exist? Is it real? And more fundamentally, what is it?
In 1931, James Truslow Adams, in his book The Epic of America, defined the dream as “…a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”
The American Dream is often described in terms of opportunity. We hear phrases such as
- If you work hard enough, you can succeed
- Anyone can become President
- Every generation can build a better life than the one before it
These examples point toward an important truth. America aspires to provide equal rights, opportunity, and a high degree of social mobility compared to most other countries.
So, why do so many people feel dissatisfied, even as many aspects of life have become more prosperous than ever before?
What does “better and richer and fuller” mean?
What is missing from our modern understanding of the American Dream?
This book is not about debating policy but about discovering and exploring the deeper structure of the American Dream.
Next: Origins of this Book