NPR | Living the American Dream: are you doing better than your parents? - Public Insight Network | NPR

NPR | Living the American Dream: are you doing better than your parents?

Upward mobility has always been a key aspect of the American dream. Most Americans believe if you work hard and play by the rules, you will have a better life than your parents. For a series on the American Dream, NPR is looking for a variety of people to talk about upward mobility. Did you come from a middle-class background and hit it big? Did you start a company that did extremely well? Is your life better than your parents? We want to hear from you.

Or are you doing worse than your parents? Data suggests that many Americans won't experience upward mobility in their lifetimes, especially if their parents weren't middle or upper income. Are you downwardly mobile? Do you think your parents had it much better than you do? Do you think you're falling behind compared to the previous generation? We want to hear from you, too.

Tell us -- how does your life compare to that of your parents and how does this affect your view of the American Dream?

* indicates required field

First Name *

Last Name *

E-mail *

Street Address

City *

State or Province

Postal Code

Country

Phone

Do you consider yourself upwardly mobile? (Do you make more money than your parents did? Did you achieve a higher degree? Have you had more professional success?)

Would you say your parents -- in their prime -- made more or less than your household? How much? (For some perspective, the median household income was about $15,000 in 1979. That would be more than $47,000 today, adjusted for inflation.)

Did your parents own their own home?

Yes
No

Do you own your own home?

Yes
No

How are you doing compared to your parents? (Compare your standard of living today with your parents' when they were your age.)

Better
Worse
About the same

Why do you think you're doing better or worse than your parents? Please be specific.

Do you think you're living the American Dream?

Yes
No
I'm not sure

Why or why not?

What do you do for a living? How long have you been doing it?

What did your parents do for a living? Did both of them work?

What else do you want to share about this topic?

May we publish your insights and attribute them to you? *

Yes
No
Maybe... contact me first

Are you interested in speaking with a reporter? *

Yes
No
Maybe... contact me first

And now, here are some questions to help us get to know you better. None of your answers to these demographic questions will be shared outside the newsrooms of the Public Insight Network.

What race or ethnicity are you?

What is your household income?

What political party, if any, do you identify with most closely?

Which of these best describes your education level?

In what year were you born?

Thanks for sharing your insights. Before you hit submit, please take a moment to share the query using the social media buttons above.

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