The Generation That Stopped Believing in the American Dream

The Generation That Stopped Believing in the American Dream

Hopeless Youth, Fragile Democracy

In 2024, a Gallup survey found that only 31% of young Americans felt they had the freedom to shape their own lives. That placed the United States near the bottom among wealthy nations, just above Greece and Italy.

For a country that built its identity on opportunity and upward mobility, this was more than a troubling data point. It was a flare in the night sky. A generation that should be bursting with energy and ambition instead admitted it feels powerless. That quiet disillusionment has become the constant rhythm of Gen Z’s experience.

• No chance at a home. In most regions, houses cost five to six times the median household income. A few decades ago, the ratio was closer to three. Mortgage rates have fallen since the 1980s, but affordability has collapsed.

• No hope of retirement. A large number of Gen Z adults doubt they will ever retire comfortably. Many say their current income does not cover the life they want, let alone allow saving. • A planet on fire. Most young people report regular climate anxiety. Fires, floods, and extreme heat are not distant threats. They define the landscape of their lives.

• Leaders who feel far away. Congress is among the oldest in American history. The president is in his eighties. Young voters see urgent crises matched with leaders who often seem out of touch.

The Gallup finding did not shock researchers because it was unexpected. It struck a nerve because it confirmed what young people already knew. For millions of Gen Z Americans, the American Dream is no longer a goal to chase.

It is a relic their parents described, but they do not believe they will inherit. This is not simply about student debt or a temporary wave of inflation. It is about an entire generation detaching emotionally, economically, and civically.

If leaders fail to act, democracy will not collapse in one loud moment. It will wither quietly, one disengaged young person at a time.

Gen Z Did Not Fail the System. The System Failed Them First

Ask a twenty-something-year-old about the future and you will not hear excitement. You will hear a tired laugh. You will hear someone talk about tomorrow like a street they avoid after dark.

Rising costs, gridlocked politics, and shaky ladders have flipped the script their parents believed. The promise was simple. Get a job, work hard, and the rest follows. Gen Z tried. On the other side, they found a locked door.

What the numbers say