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American Dream Alive Essay

980 Words4 Pages

Is the American Dream Dead, Alive, or on Hold? Some people have different perspectives on the American Dream, whether it’s dead, alive or on hold. The views of the American Dream can also fluctuate depending on the year you are viewing. In the article RIP the Middle Class, by Edward McClelland he explains during the 1960’s people didn’t need to have much background in the manufacturing field in able to find a job and Gary Galipeau can support this idea by stating, “In those days, you could fill out an application and get an interview the same day.” Jump ahead ten years to the 70’s and not much has changed with finding a job. McClelland states, “It was easy for any high school graduate to get a job on an assembly line and make more income than …show more content…

Edward McClelland believes the American Dream is on hold because the middle class is shrinking and it’s not from capitalism, but from the failing government. It seems like Presidents Nixon, Carter, and Reagan were actually hurting the middle class whether it be from Nixon’s answer to inflation, Carter’s leverage against unions, or Reagan’s low prices of employment or even the firing of workers on strike. In 1982, when Ronald Reagan was in office, the unemployment rate was at a rate of 10.8 percent. This high percentage rate shows no hope for the middle class to get back on their feet. To help get a better picture of what it looked like, McClelland compared the declining of workers in unions and the middle class income, and says that they fit on the same axis. This can support that fact that that the middle class was not living the American Dream and that they can’t depend on the market to help them. That was until George Bush and Barack Obama came around and started helping the middle class get back on their feet. They helped by giving money to the big businesses in need. For example, Bush gave money to Wall Street to help with the bail and Barack Obama helped by getting General Motors through bankruptcy and passing the Affordable Care

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