American dream not the same for all, but it stays alive, panel says

Published: 2007-04-04

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- For different people, the "American dream" may be inspired by the Jetsons or the Waltons, or maybe by the quickly canceled reality show hosted by former pop idol Donny Osmond, suggested panelists at a conference on the topic at The Catholic University of America. But despite changing times and an increasingly cynical world, people still believe in something they consider the American dream, which these days may be less about material goods and more about emotional satisfaction, panelists said. Surveys show that people also believe the American dream is attainable for themselves. Karlyn Bowman, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said at the March 28 conference that Americans not only are generally optimistic about achieving their goals, but they tend to be more satisfied with their lives than are Europeans. "They feel they have made progress," Bowman said, and that their children will have opportunities they lacked. Nevertheless, recent surveys find that a majority of people believe the next generation will have a more difficult time achieving individual dreams, she said.

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