American Dream Argumentative Essay

The American dream has never been well defined. When this social movement was created in 1931 by historian James Truslow Adams it was used by a wide range of people: politicians; writers; and economists to suit their own purposes. In some people's eyes, it's about money and power, for others it's about simple financial stability and freedom. There are so many things that keep the dream out of reach for the standard American citizen. There's no doubt that this idealization has evolved through time, but what does it mean for the current middle class of America?

The idea of the American dream is no longer a social construct. People take this idea extremely seriously; for some, it’s all they think about as they climb the ladder to success. There are a great deal of problems and social issues that arise when we look at what most people need in order to achieve this dream. Most people who live in this country spend their entire lives working for what they want and sometimes it’s never enough. In the best possible case, this is what the American dream should look like, “Adams’s definition of the dream idealistically encompasses the elements of a functional democracy: social order, opportunity for everyone irrespective of the social rank, financial comfort, and public recognition.” (Ştiuliuc) Most people though, will live in this country spending their entire lives working for what they want and sometimes it’s never enough.

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The middle class is a relatively new idea made true in the twentieth century. For most of humanity’s time here on Earth, there were only two classes in civilization: higher class and lower class. This fluke made it possible for millions to live relatively comfortably and not have to worry about survival. “Twentieth century America temporarily escaped this stratification, but now, as statistics on economic inequality demonstrate, we’re slipping back in that direction.” (McClelland) We can’t continue to allow this aged design of class to continue. People who live here need to find ways to keep the middle class thriving rather than lose its defining factor on what makes America one of the most prosperous nations.

Through the ages, the middle class has been known as the class that makes just enough to support themselves while also having enough money on the side to spend on frivolous things. These things are usually what you use to flaunt your wealth such as expensive automobiles, hobby items, and new electronics. With the rise and fall of the economy, it’s been getting harder and harder to keep up.

This capitalistic society says that we can obtain whatever we want as long as we work hard but how are we to do this when job requirements are being raised? The only way to meet the expectations for being accepted for a job position is the correct level of education. “The pay gap between college graduates and everyone else in this country is near its all-time high.” (Leonhardt) The problem with this ideology is that obtaining a decent post-secondary education costs money.

You could argue that the need for post-secondary education is necessary in this day and age because of technological advancements being made. The need for educated and skilled individuals is rising. This country is in need of more experienced and qualified professionals for the field required because globalization has spurred the import of products that use low trained work from different countries. The problem seen with this type of progress is when it becomes out of control for the nation. The cost of education continues to rise as these new positions become available but at some point, we will have to stop and consider when the wages balance out with the cost of education.

The tension between social classes is palpable. The divide between the proletariat and the aristocracy continues to grow but we continue to support the idea that if you ‘work hard you can play hard’. It’s a hindrance that we show our full and utmost support for the rich, and it doesn’t help that the media is constantly throwing news at the public about their extravagant lifestyle. People from the lower class love to see what it would be like to be wealthy but won’t put any effort into actually trying to get there. The American people have become too comfortable, they buy what the rich provide for us, whether that be entertainment, technology, or information but we forget that the wealthy don’t give anything in return except for that. In order to become what we aspire to; we must set new laws into place to get to where we need to be for the good of the rest of the country.

One way that we can help the future workers of this country is by making edu