America 250 poll finds hope in American dream has dramatically declined in recent years

Published June 8, 2026 10:58am ET | Updated June 8, 2026 10:58am ET



A poll released Monday found that confidence in the American dream continues to slip, as the United States marks its semiquincentennial. 

The AP-NORC America 250 survey indicated 34% believe in the American dream, reinforcing a Wall Street Journal-NORC poll released last fall that said just 31% of the public believed it held true.

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