A recent poll shows that many Americans no longer believe in the promise of the “American dream.”

According to a Wall Street Journal–NORC survey conducted in July 2025, nearly seven in ten registered voters said the notion that “hard work leads to success” is no longer true—or was never true to begin with. The Journal noted that this is the highest level of skepticism recorded in almost 15 years of tracking the question.

When broken down further, 46 percent of respondents said the principle may have applied in the past but no longer does, while 23 percent said it was never real. That last figure marks a five-point rise compared with the previous two years of surveys.

The poll also revealed a sharp divide along party lines. Among Democrats, nine in ten expressed a bleak outlook for their

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