The American Dream

n the face of it, the American dream is alive and well. That, at least, is the conclusion of a recently published opinion survey conducted for the Wall Street Journal by the Roper Organization. Of the 1,654 Americans polled by Roper last October, 86 percent say that the American Dream – a term coined during the Great Depression to describe the opportunity available to everyone regardless of class, creed, or race- is still a powerful factor in the nation's life.

According to this survey, the American Dream is not built upon materialistic goals alone. It's associated, to be sure, with a comfortable financial status -- but not with great wealth. Figuring strongly in Americans’ conceptions of success are less tangible concerns: being a good parent (listed as “very important” by 95 percent of the respondents), having a happy marriage (90 percent), having the respect of friends (83 percent), and being well-educated.

Having a happy relationship with another and being one of the best at your job were considered very important by 86 percent and 80 percent respectively. Fewer than 20 percent thought power or influence were important, and fewer than 10 percent wanted fame or prominence.

So far, all this fits predictably with traditional American optimism. True, there’s a little less optimism now than there was in 1985, according to Roper reports from prior years. But there’s a good deal more than there was during the widely felt malaise of the late 1970s.

Beneath all this confidence, however, lie some sobering details. According to this survey, blacks, immigrants and first-generation Americans are less likely to feel that they have a part in the dream. Moreover, while most Americans feel optimistic about their own personal future, some 48 percent feel that the nation as a whole is “on the wrong track.”

This group was also asked about the things that “may pose a threat to the future of the American Dream.” Topping the list is the use of...