Will Packer

What's Happened to the American Dream?

Shaun Robinson, Jim Clifton, Robert H. Dugger, Shirin Laor-Raz Salemnia, Yascha Mounk, Will Packer

This analysis examines the shift from the American Dream as a pursuit of universal material improvement to a zero-sum struggle for positional goods, driven by flat living standards since 1985 and the exclusion of 60% of young adults from the labor market. Key structural barriers including felony records, educational misalignment, and automation threats have reduced intergenerational social mobility to 7.5% and created governance risks by alienating millions of citizens. Proposed solutions focus on early childhood investment, expanding awareness of high-growth tech sectors, and reforming higher education to identify and nurture resilience in high-potential students regardless of background.