The American Dream - Opportunities for Some

The United States has long been viewed as a land of opportunity—a place where dreams could be realized, and fortunes made. But what lies at the heart of this “American Entrepreneurial Exceptionalism”? It is not merely the existence of capitalism, nor simply the size of the American market, but a unique cultural alchemy forged from the interplay of capitalism, democratic ideals, American religious theology, and the boundless promise of the frontier. This blend has made the U.S. uniquely innovative, aspirational, and entrepreneurial—but it has also produced deep contradictions and persistent injustices that must be acknowledged and addressed.

The Foundations: Democracy, Freedom, and Individual Agency

The founding of the United States was itself a revolutionary act of imagination—a bold declaration that all men are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Though this promise was initially extended ...