what is the american dream 
the term american dream refers to the belief that anyone regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone the american dream is believed to be achieved through sacrifice risk taking and hard work rather than by chance understanding the american dreamthe term was coined by writer and historian james truslow adams in his best selling 1931 book epic of america he described it as 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 adams went on to explain it is a difficult dream for the european upper classes to interpret adequately and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it it is not a dream of motorcars and high wages merely but a dream of social order in which each man and 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 1the idea of the american dream has much deeper roots its tenets can be found in the declaration of independence which states we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness 2in a society based on these principles an individual can live life to its fullest as they define it america also grew mostly as a nation of immigrants who created a nation where becoming an american and passing that citizenship to your children didn t require being the child of an american 3the american dream now costs 3 455 305 that s the estimated lifetime cost of common milestones including marriage two children homes health care cars and education advantages and disadvantages of the american dreamachieving the american dream requires political and economic freedom as well as rules of law and private property rights without them individuals cannot make the choices that will permit them to attain success nor can they have confidence that their achievements will not be taken away from them through arbitrary force the american dream promises freedom and equality it offers the freedom to make both the large and small decisions that affect one s life the freedom to aspire to bigger and better things and the possibility of achieving them the freedom to accumulate wealth the opportunity to lead a dignified life and the freedom to live in accordance with one s values even if those values are not widely held or accepted the books of post civil war writer horatio alger in which impoverished but hardworking teenage boys rise to success through pluck determination and good fortune came to personify realizing the dream the american dream also offers the promise that the circumstances of someone s birth including whether they were born american citizens or immigrants do not completely determine their future terming the concept a dream also carries with it the notion that these ideals aren t necessarily what has played out in the lives of many actual americans and those who hope to become americans the criticism that reality falls short of the american dream is at least as old as the idea itself the spread of settlers into native american lands slavery the original limitation of the right to vote to white male landowners and a long list of other injustices and challenges have undermined the realization of the dream for many who live in the united states as income inequality has increased substantially since the 1970s the american dream has begun to seem less attainable for those who aren t already affluent or born into affluence according to u s census family income data real family income began to grow much more among the top income group than among other segments of american society 4these realities however do not diminish the luster of the american dream as an ideal and a beacon to all nations the american dream promises freedom and equality the ideals of the american dream are motivating including the freedom to be in charge of one s own life the reality of the american dream often falls short of the idea itself as income inequality has increased the american dream has seemed less attainable 