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American Dream

7-3-25-v2 | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Joseph Helfenberger | Dreamstime.com | Midjourney

American Dream

69 Percent of Americans Say American Dream Is Not Dead

Americans are increasingly optimistic about their ability to attain the American Dream, according to a new survey.

Autumn Billings | 7.4.2025 8:30 AM

A group of immigrants walk by the American flag | Illustration: Eddie Marshall | Radek Procyk | Dreamstime.com | Midjourney

Immigration

Independence Day Reminds Us You Can Be American by Choice

Despite our problems, the U.S. offers the sort of freedom, liberty, and opportunity that is anathema to many places around the world.

Billy Binion | 7.4.2025 6:30 AM

Heavy duty generators are driven into Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport on June 24, 2025. | D.A. Varela/TNS/Newscom

Florida

The Everglades Jetport Was Supposed To Be a World Wonder. Now It's 'Alligator Alcatraz.'

Our dreams have fallen from supersonic world travel to jailing migrants who've hurt no one.

Matthew Petti | 7.3.2025 10:03 AM

Shipping containers at an American port | Photo by Barrett Ward on Unsplash

Consumption

Cheap Stuff Is a Huge Part of the American Dream

Plus: Polyamorous cannabis regulators (and a corruption scandal), deportation misses, and more...

Liz Wolfe | 4.1.2025 9:33 AM

Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce in "The Brutalist" | A24/Universal/Focus Features

Movies

The Brutalist Is Great American Cinema

Architecture and ambition collide in Brady Corbet's post-war epic.

Peter Suderman | 1.10.2025 10:31 AM

Statue of Liberty 3 | NA

Immigration

Forty-Five Years in America

Today is the 45th anniversary of the Somin family's arrival in America.

Ilya Somin |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.6.2024 10:20 AM

Federal safety regulators say 43 percent of tested fireworks are illegal. God bless America. |  Lunamarina/Dreamstime.com

Freedom

Federal Safety Regulators Say 43 Percent of Tested Fireworks Are Illegal. God Bless America.

Fireworks consumption is at record levels even as fireworks injuries fall.

Christian Britschgi | 7.3.2023 10:00 AM

local-inst | Illustration: Lex Villena; Tupungato

Civil Society

Poll Finds That Americans Care Less About 'Community Engagement.' Government Is Largely to Blame.

The ballooning of government has 'crowded out’ institutions of civil society, says AEI’s Howard Husock.

David McGarry | 3.31.2023 4:25 PM

THUMBNAIL | Illustration: Lex Villena

California

Is California Over?

Why the Golden State is losing people, business, and a congressional seat

Regan Taylor and Nick Gillespie | 6.7.2021 1:50 PM

q&a | American Enterprise Institute

Reason Interviews

Michael Strain Wants You To Believe in the American Dream  

The economy is broadly healthy and that it's benefiting nearly everyone—including the lower-income households who need it most.

Peter Suderman | 4.28.2020 6:00 AM

features intro | Joanna Andreasson. Source images: ojoel/iStock; Kirk Fisher/Shutterstock

American Dream

How the American Dream Became Unaffordable

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 4.19.2020 6:00 AM

topicsfuture | Sharon O'Shaughnessy/Alamy

Future

Is the American Dream Dead?

When Americans feel like the future will be worse than the past, reactionary and socialist ideologies ascend.

Katherine Mangu-Ward | 4.6.2020 6:00 AM

Thomas_Chatterton_Williams,_New_York_City,_2019 | Dominique Nabokov, Wikimedia, Creative Commons

Racism

The Autobiography of an Ex-Black Man: Thomas Chatterton Williams

The new memoir Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race is a powerful personal statement and national call to arms.

Nick Gillespie | 12.18.2019 1:35 PM

Statue of Liberty 3 | NA

Volokh Conspiracy

Forty Years in America

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Somin family's arrival in America.

Ilya Somin |The Volokh Conspiracy | 6.6.2019 1:24 PM

Large image on homepages | Young America's Foundation

Reason Podcast

Report from 'Alienated America': Podcast

For his new book, Timothy Carney toured parts of the country that are working and parts that are not. What he found is deeply disturbing.

Nick Gillespie | 2.15.2019 3:45 PM

Large image on homepages

Reasontv

Donald Trump, Joel Osteen, and the Evangelical "Money Cult"

Nick Gillespie and Joshua Swain | 7.13.2016 11:00 AM

Large image on homepages | DonkeyHotey via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Income mobility

Federal Programs Keep People Poor

We can't tax our way to greater income mobility

Veronique de Rugy | 5.14.2016 6:00 AM

Politics

A Hit Song That Will Make You Equally Ashamed to Be American and Canadian

Nick Gillespie | 7.5.2014 11:07 AM

Large image on homepages | National Archives and Records Administration

Culture

Regulating Away the American Dream

Government mostly hinders us, and then brags that it is waiting to take charge when we fail.

John Stossel | 4.30.2014 12:00 PM

Politics

Shikha Dalmia on the Latest Restrictionist Myth About Latino Losers

Reason Staff | 3.11.2014 10:00 AM

Politics

Facebook's Zuckerberg To Promote Immigration Reform With Hackathon, Other Events

Zenon Evans | 10.22.2013 4:45 PM

Politics

Daddy, Why Don't We Have an American Flag?

J.D. Tuccille | 7.5.2013 9:01 PM

Politics

Founders Would Be Ashamed of Modern U.S., Americans Believe

That's a fair bet

Reason Staff | 7.5.2013 7:30 PM

Politics

Remove Government Barriers to Equal Opportunity

Emily Ekins | 2.8.2013 5:49 PM

Politics

Despite the Presidential Campaign Season, Americans Still Believe US is a Land of Opportunity

Emily Ekins | 11.2.2012 5:02 PM

Politics

Despite the Presidential Campaign Season, Americans Still Believe US is a Land of Opportunity

Emily Ekins | 11.2.2012 5:01 PM

Policy

Middle Class Feels Muddled

Net worth and standard of living are slipping away, says Pew

Reason Staff | 8.22.2012 9:40 PM

Politics

You Have an 85 Percent Chance of Being Poor

But don't worry, you also have a 77 percent chance of being affluent

Ronald Bailey | 7.3.2012 4:30 PM

Politics

American Dream Dies! Again! Or Maybe Not

J.D. Tuccille | 4.20.2012 4:05 PM

Politics

Mitt Romney's Tea Party CPAC Speech

Emily Ekins | 2.10.2012 3:31 PM

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