Only 51% believe in the American dream
Today only 51% of American adults think the American dream still holds for them, a dramatic decline from the optimism of the 1950s and '60s.
Snapshot · The Rest Is Politics: US
200. Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Will Backfire
Explore episode
Jun 29, 2026
Where this was said
The American Dream Is Fading: Polling the 250th Birthday
At 22:50 · chapter starts 22:45
The second half of the episode opens with Katty Kay presenting a portrait of national disillusionment befitting the 250th birthday. The peak of belief in the American dream was the 1950s and '60s; it fell off a cliff in 2008 and has never recovered [1] — Katty Kay "On America's 250th birthday, only 51% of adults believe the American dream still holds for them. Belief peaked in the 1950s and '60s, crate…" 22:10 . Today, only 51% of adults believe it still holds for them. The Pew Research data [2] — Anthony Scaramucci "Pew Research's 250th anniversary snapshot of America is brutal: only 29% are satisfied with the country's direction, 19% think the Founders…" 25:00 is no cheerier: 29% of US adults are satisfied with the country's direction, 69% are not; only 19% think the Founding Fathers would be pleased, 77% say they would be disappointed. A Fox News word-association poll found two-thirds of Americans reaching for words like 'failing,' 'divided,' 'struggling,' and 'corrupt.' Yet 81% still want to live in America. Katty Kay adds that the shrinking-middle-class story is better understood as growth at both extremes — a larger working class and a larger upper class — squeezing the middle out. She notes the extraordinary and ironic statistic that there is now more social mobility in the UK than in the US. Scaramucci reveals the top 20% control 87% of America's wealth, and attributes the structural distortion to the Citizens United feedback loop between the ultra-wealthy and elected politicians.
The Pew Birthday Report Card America Doesn't Want to Read
Pew Research's 250th anniversary snapshot of America is brutal: only 29% are satisfied with the country's direction, 19% think the Founders would be pleased, and two-thirds reach for negative words when asked to describe the US. Yet 81% still want to live here.
29% satisfied with how country is going
A Pew Research poll found only 29% of US adults are satisfied with how the country is going, with 69% unsatisfied.
19% think Founders would be pleased
Only 19% of Americans think the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be pleased by how the US has turned out; 77% say they would be disappointed.
Two-thirds describe US with negative words
A Fox News word-association poll found two-thirds of Americans chose negative words — failing, divided, struggling, corrupt — to describe the United States today.
81% still want to live in the US
Despite widespread pessimism, 81% of American voters say they still want to live in the United States.
Top 20% control 87% of wealth
The top 20% of Americans control 87% of the country's wealth, illustrating the extreme concentration of capital driving middle-class decline.
The Top 20% Own 87% of the Wealth
The top 20% of Americans control 87% of the country's wealth. Scaramucci argues this isn't the result of hard work — it's a feedback loop between the ultra-rich and government, fuelled by Citizens United money buying politicians who then deliver tax cuts and corporate welfare.
Similar snapshots
SF average rent up 18% in 2 years
San Francisco's average rent rose 18% over the past two years to $3,728/month, surpassing New York City as the most expensive rental market in the country.
SF average rent: $3,728/month
San Francisco's average monthly rent now stands at $3,728, surpassing New York City to become the most expensive rental city in the United States.
Bobby walked 7 miles with dicks drawn on face
At a childhood sleepover, Bobby Lee's friends drew penises on his face and he walked 7 miles home on a dirt road before being picked up by Eric Purvis's mom.
World poverty: 60% in 1950 vs 10% today
In 1950, about 60% of the world lived in extreme poverty; today it's about 1 in 10, attributable to capitalist economic growth.
6M US children fell into poverty 2021–24
From 2021 to 2024, 6 million children fell below the poverty line in the US after the expanded child tax credit expired.
Private adoption costs $40,000–$70,000
Private domestic infant and international adoptions typically cost $40,000 to $70,000, while foster care adoption is the most affordable route at $0 to $2,000.
Only 40% of men have ever reproduced
Historically, only 40% of men have ever reproduced — Galloway uses this to argue that romantic success requires effort, not a hall pass.
7th of 10 children
Robby Hoffman is the 7th of 10 children raised in a Hasidic household in Montreal, where the family was poor and comedy was a survival mechanism.
No concept of 'too soon'
Robby's Hasidic community had no concept of 'too soon' in comedy — if it was funny, you threw it, and if you bombed, your sibling told you immediately.
