“The American Dream is in decline,” the president of a center-right think tank warned, after releasing an alarming report showing that almost no Americans believe that the American Dream is “much more” attainable than it was just ten years ago.

Sarah Hunt, the president of the policy research think tank Rainey Center, told the Washington Reporter in an interview that “unfortunately, new polling data released by our organization shows that voters think the American Dream is in decline. An overwhelming 66 percent of voters believe the dream is less attainable than it was a handful of years ago. More concerning, only one in five voters polled believe they have reached the American Dream.” 

Hunt blames problems ranging from “antiquated permitting processes and red tape [that make] it impossible to start a small business, or to build critical infrastructure like roads, power plants, and transmission lines” for the nationwide pessimism the Rainey Center identified. “Reform is desperately needed for not only our economic health, but our national mental health as too many feel the American Dream slipping away,” she said.

Only 3 percent of Americans believe that the American Dream is “much more” attainable than it was a decade ago. In contrast, 40 percent of Americans said that the American Dream has become “much less attainable” over the past 10 years, with 26 percent saying that it has become “somewhat less attainable.” The poll itself was conducted with over 1,000 respondents with a margin of error of 4 percent. 

Hunt sees reasons for optimism, however, and told the Reporter that her organization is nevertheless “excited about the future, as we are constantly adapting and innovating new policy responses to address major issues affecting each American around the country.”

Despite concerns from Americans that the American Dream is slipping away, the poll found that there is near-universal agreement on what the important aspects of the American Dream are: “Experiencing freedom and individual rights” and “living in a democracy with free expression” lead the way among all voters as critical aspects of the American Dream. Access to health care stands out as one of the only major areas in whichDemocrats diverge from Republicans.

Sixty-four percent of respondents said “freedom” was the most important defining principle of America, followed by opportunity, which was listed by 38 percent. Democrats were more than twice as likely to list “equality” as an important aspect of the American Dream.

Rainey’s think tank took Washington, D.C. by storm this week at its annual Leadership Alliance for a More Perfect Union (LAMP) National Summit, in which the organization hosted 45 state legislators from across the country to convene, meet with federal lawmakers, and engage in policy discussions.

During the summit, lawmakers such as Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Sens. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.V.), and Reps. Debbie Lesko (R., Ariz.) and Rep. Chuck Edwards (R., N.C.) received awards recognizing their “empowered leadership.”

Amelia Powers Gardner, the chair of LAMP at the Rainey Center, told the Reporter that her organization will continue “working to unravel the tangled overregulation that is holding so many young people back when it comes to buying a home and raising a family.”