Americans think the American dream is dying

Americans are increasingly unlikely to believe that those who work hard will get ahead and that their children will be better off than they are, according to two recent polls.

Why it matters: The polls reflect concerns that the American dream is dimming — or already extinguished.

Driving the news: The WSJ asked respondents whether they believe "the American Dream — that if you work hard you'll get ahead — still holds true."

Just 36% said it does hold true vs. 18% who said it never held true and 45% who said it once held true, but not anymore.

Compare that to surveys in 2012 and 2016, when 53% and 48% respectively said the American dream held true. Those polls were taken by a different pollster, PRRI, with different methodology, but the downward trend is clear.