The middle class is a paradox. On the one hand, they are unfailingly optimistic. They believe that their success or failure is due mainly to measures within their control.
On the other hand, they are anxious and have been for a long time. For some, this anxiety is rooted in the immediacy of the economic downturn—the loss of a job or health insurance. But for most, this anxiety is rooted in the fear that they will not achieve the success that they imagined for themselves and their children. This fear is real, just as real as the economic anxieties of those struggling to stay afloat.
As progressives, we are experts at diagnosing and addressing people’s economic security problems. But we are not nearly as proficient at understanding and clearing the hurdles that people face to achieve economic success. This paper is about economic success, because even in harsh economic times, the essence of the American dream is about getting ahead and doing better than previous generations.
