Voters weigh in on whether the 'American Dream' is dead... and the biggest challenge for young people trying to 'make it'

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 15:11, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 15:15, 29 June 2026 In anticipation of the United States' 250th birthday this week, the Daily Mail asked voters nationwide about the current state of the American Dream. A new Daily Mail/JL Partners exclusive poll reveals that Americans are still overall hopeful about the American Dream.  The poll revealed that 59 percent of voters believe in the American Dream, but less than one in three view it as easier to achieve now compared to their parents. Republican respondents were evenly split, with 35 percent believing the American Dream is easier to achieve for themselves than for their parents - and 35 percent saying it is harder. Voters on the ground across the country were more mixed in their responses when asked by the Daily Mail.  Voters in New York City were the most pessimistic - an older male Democratic voter told the Daily Mail last week that he was 'not that enthusiastic' about the current state of the American Dream.  Another middle-aged female NYC voter noted that, 'we have bigger dreams, we have more dreams, now because so many have been taken away.' South Carolina voters interviewed by the Daily Mail were more balanced in their approach. Sean Foulis, a longtime firefighter, spoke with the Daily Mail in Hilton Head, South Carolina Students on a school tour of the Capitol try to catch a glimpse of members of Congress on in March of 2017 Democratic nominee for South Carolina's 5th Congressional District, Mallory Dittmer, 41, noted that 'the American people are getting left out of the conversation, and the American Dream is for us, not people at the top.' Eric Graben, a Greenville, South Carolina, attorney in his 60s, shared that he doesn't think the American Dream is dead, but added that he does think it looks different for younger generations.' 'I think it's harder for younger generations,' Graben said. Fellow Greenville resident Amber Drummond told the Daily Mail, 'the American Dream is definitely not dead, the wonderful thing about Democracy is that it's still evolving.' That sentiment crossed both geographic and partisan political lines, with Republican Sean Foulis, a longtime James Island, South Carolina firefighter, telling the Daily Mail that the American Dream is 'definitely still alive.'  But he added that it 'has changed for younger generations, they've got a little more work to do to achieve the American Dream. Amber Drummond, 43, from Greenville, South Carolina told the Daily Mail, 'the American Dream is definitely not dead, the wonderful thing about Democracy is that it's still evolving' Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Respondents to the poll also noted the marker of 'being able to retire comfortably’ as the point at which someone has ‘made it’ in America, with 23 percent of respondents selecting that option.  Just 1 percent of respondents each selected the options of owning a boat, being elected to office, and having a Costco membership as a sign of having 'made it' in America.  Voters across numerous demographics said that their own generation has had it 'worst' living in America. For younger Americans, affordability is widely viewed as the biggest obstacle to success. The nationwide online poll of over 1,000 registered voters was conducted from June 19-21.  Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. A Daily Mail/JL Partners poll taken in May found that 59 percent of voters said the economy was getting worse amid the Iran war and inflation.  That's impacting younger Americans who have had to delay buying a home or starting their families based on rapidly rising prices.  The Trump administration got a much-needed break. The June poll data found that the number of Americans who believe starting Trump's war with Iran was wrong is declining, while the number who think it was right is climbing.  In May, 52 percent of voters polled believed launching military action against Iran was wrong; the latest poll found that has come down six points and is now 47 percent of voters. Meanwhile, 35 percent of voters now say the military operation was the right choice, up from 33 percent a month ago. In addition, the President's approval rating ticked up to 47 percent, while his disapproval still hovers at 53 percent. It is the 80-year-old's highest approval rating this year, since the end of February, just days before the US launched its war against Iran in conjunction with Israel.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. 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