Today’s America is no longer the land of economic optimism it was before the turn of the century. Most Americans feel that the American Dream has unraveled, and “their once steady march toward affluence has derailed.” A new USA Today poll finds that 54 percent of those surveyed say “their standard of living is no better today than five years ago,” while a recent CNN/Opinion Research poll showed that 78 percent of respondents believe the current state of the nation’s economy is poor or very poor.

From Center For American Progress Action Fund