American Dreamers Want a Happy Home Life : Gallup poll: Results show that U.S. residents believe in progress, embrace traditional values and are inconspicuous consumers.
A generation or so ago, when everyone liked Ike and loved Lucy, the family’s lone TV and the American dream came in simple black and white. A house was central to the dream but central air conditioning wasn’t.
Clearly, the American dreamers of three decades ago reached and surpassed their goals. Moreover, as a recent Money magazine poll suggests, Americans in the ‘90s are still dreaming.
To help define the American dream, Money commissioned the Gallup Organization to ask a randomly chosen sample of subscribers for their vision of the dream.
The poll leads to three broad conclusions about many affluent Americans:
* They believe in progress. Respondents say they live better than their parents did at the same age and expect even more for their children.
* They embrace traditional values. They rank a happy home life above all other components of the American dream.
* They are inconspicuous consumers. The average amount they think a family of four needs to live well is $58,000.
Money poll respondents were asked to rate two dozen elements of the American dream. The top element is something money can’t buy--a happy home life. Indeed, in today’s busy two-income household, that goal may be harder to attain.
Elements of the Dream
VERY IMPORTANT--Having a happy home life, 97.8%; giving children a good education through high school, 95.7; having competent, affordable health care, 91.6; having a job that you like, 90.4; having enough savings, 88.7; owning a home, 82.3; sending children to a good college, 78.7; living well in retirement, 72.4; being free of debt, 71.3; having enough free time, 69.7; having a job that pays well, 69.3; having children, 68.0; getting ahead on your job, 64.4; being able to work as many years as you want 64.0; having your home appreciate in value, 62.3; being married, 62.3; living in a nice community, 60.3; being able to travel when you want to, 43.4; having enough money for occasional luxuries, 43.0; being able to leave inheritance for your children, 30.0; retiring early, 26.7; owning your own business, 23.0; owning a late-model car, 10.7; owning a vacation home, 7.0.
Destroyers of the Dream
Money asked poll respondents to rate 17 potential obstacles to their contentment. The obstacle is followed by the percent who are very worried.
Catastrophic illness in family, 41%; environmental problems, 39; Cost of education, 34; war, 34; rising taxes, 33; stock market collapse, 28; pension cuts, 27; inflation, 26; recession, 20; loss of job, 19; poor investment decisions, 19; cuts in employee benefits, 19; inability to sell house, 16; substance abuse in family, 12; personal debt problems, 10; divorce, 10; natural disasters, 8.
