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This cartoon shows a man talking to his children about the American Dream. He is telling them that they can grow up to do whatever they want in America. I agree with this cartoon because everyone is given the opportunity to achieve the Dream. The thing is that, for some people, this is a little bit harder for whatever reason. Everyone has problems, what matters is how hard you are willing to work to overcome them and achieve what you want to achieve.

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In English class we read and watched the play "A Raisin in the Sun" which gave us some good insight on the American Dream. It showed us how different people can have different views about the American Dream. Walter for example, had the view that money was the key to achieving the American Dream and Lena's idea was to be happy and have a nice family. The play also showed us how difficult it can be for some people to achieve the Dream.

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This quote doesn't directly relate to the American Dream, but I think it gives some really good insight on it. Pretty much everyone's definition of the American Dream has something to do with money in some way shape or form. This quote shows that there is a less materialistic side of the American Dream, the side about happiness. If you can experience your life with joy, than that is wealth. If you are stuck working forever, that is not living the American Dream.

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This video does a really good job of explaining what the American Dream means, and how to go about getting there. It also covers some of the roadblocks on the way to achieving it such as being overworked, underpaid, being isolated from your family, etc.

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This fairly recent article covers the modern day struggles of achieving the American Dream, and what has contributed to the Dream's downfall.

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Young people in the U.S. are entering the workforce at a time when good jobs are hard to find and career advancement is a constant struggle. Around 60% of all millennials do not have a college degree. Even young people with college degrees are finding work in entry-level jobs that don't require a four-year university education. Overall, according to research by the Economic Policy Institute, the wages for recent college graduates (adjusted for inflation) have fallen 7.7% since 2000. In a recent campaign speech Hillary Clinton explained, "We know people are working harder and longer just to keep their heads above water and to deal with the costs, the everyday costs, the costs of basics like child care and prescription drugs that are too high. College is getting more expensive every day and wages are still too low and inequality is too great. Good jobs in many parts of our country are still too hard to come by." Yet, even though the hurdles young people face in the U.S. economy have been well documented, there are few policy proposals that offer any easy solutions. To get a sense of what challenges lie ahead and what policymakers can do to help, I reached out to Monique Rizer, the Executive Director of Opportunity Nation, a bipartisan group that works with 350 partner organizations to promote economic mobility in the U.S. economy.

Nathaniel Parish Flannery: This election cycle we've seen a lot of angst about the state of the economy. What's your view? Has the U.S. really recovered from the 2008 financial crisis?

Monique Rizer: I think angst is a good way to describe how many Americans feel about the state of the economy. We are definitely still feeling some after effects of the 2008 financial crisis, but there is good news. At this juncture, it is critical that Americans understand where the American Dream is expanding and constricting -- increasing poverty and income inequality combined with stagnant community indicators continue to impede progress for middle and lower income communities.

While several aspects of the economy have recovered from the recession, the youth unemployment rate has remained stubbornly high, especially among African Americans. Young adults have been one of the demographics hardest hit by the recession.

Again, there is some good news - the unemployment rate is at its lowest since 2008 and access to job opportunities has increased steadily since 2011. I think the data also reflects the nation's uneven and inconsistent economic recovery - while we have made progress, it is abundantly clear that there is a great deal more that needs to be done.

I think the data clearly demonstrates young adults have been one of the groups hit hardest by the recession - currently, 5.5 million young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 are disconnected from school and work. Unemployment for this group is double the national average and youth disconnection rates remain higher than pre-recession rates. Rather than forget these youth - at great economic cost - these young adults deserve our urgent attention.

We all pay the price for disconnection in wasted talent, lost earnings and tax revenue, and increased social services. Young adults who are not in school or working cost taxpayers $93 billion annually and $1.6 trillion over their lifetimes in lost revenue and increased social services. Helping the next generation of leaders become productive members of society will expand opportunity in education, the economy and civic life.

Ensuring young Americans have access to educational and economic opportunity is crucial in order to help them embark on meaningful paths to success.

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Young people in the U.S. are entering the workforce at a time when good jobs are hard to find and career advancement is a constant struggle. Around 60% of all millennials do not have a college degree. Even young people with college degrees are finding work in entry-level jobs that don't require a four-year university education.

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This chart shows certain aspects of the American Dream and the percentage of people who believe that is a part of their American Dream