Is the American Dream a Myth?

Is the American Dream a myth? Despite its status as one of the world’s leading economies, the United States is faced with high poverty rates and less economic opportunity than many other affluent countries. Senior Fellows Isabel Sawhill and Ron Haskins, in their new book Creating an Opportunity Society, explore three proven routes to upward mobility: education, work and strong families. They argue that it will take a combination of personal responsibility and paternalistic government policies that are smarter and better-targeted to make the American Dream a reality for children and families now stuck at the bottom.