Brandon King’s Essay (Coursework Sample)

Brandon King’s Essay
1. Why is Brandon King writing this essay? What is happening in America?
Brandon writes this to explain the state in which the American dream is at. If it is alive, people still believe in it, dead- people no longer pursue it- or it is on hold- waiting to be achieved- based on the current state of America. As of now, America is facing great recession, economic hardships, and inequality. Trillions have vanished in the stock market and there have been high unemployment rates in the previous few years.
2. What is Brandon King’s thesis? Write it out exactly as it appears.
Many liberal economists and activists say that the American dream is dead, but I say that it’s more alive and important than ever- and that it is the key to climbing out of the Great Recession, overcoming inequality, and achieving true prosperity.
3. Identify two major points he makes in his body and explain how he defends them. What evidence does he use?
1) The American Dream of today is a trimmed-down form of its former self.
Brandon defends this by showing the comparison of how the people’s definition of the American Dream has changed from what it was previously defined as. Using a survey conducted by New York Times, Brandon shows that most people currently view success as the ability to have a stable job, financial safety for the future, the capability to retire without struggling as well as having a safe place of residence. Conversely, success was previously showcased by owning expensive items such as cars and homes and acquiring more material wealth. In addition, Brandon uses statistics from a study to show that people strive for a middle-class lifestyle as compared to the dirt poor to filthy rich that would be previously strived for. Brandon proves this by showing the 2.5% decrease in the number of people who owned houses and comparing it to the 1.1 million increase of the people who rented apartments in five years. Moreover, Americans have changed their spending habits and are more focused on saving as compared to spending in the past. Brandon references a statement made from a survey conducted.
2) The American Dream is based on perception.
Brandon claims that the American Dream is dependant on the way someone imagines how to be successful. He defends this showing how certain perceptions deter the achievement of the American Dream by use of case studies in the American government. The American government is shown to have put in place safeguards of the welfare system which did little to close the income gap that happens to be the most worrisome problem. The increase in the minimum wage, for example, could possibly lead to companies having fewer employees which consequently leads to an increase in the unemployment rate. In this, Brandon shows that the perception of the American Dream dies due to the accumulation of wealth at the top isn't true in reality. On the other hand, Brandon supports the perception of the politicians and economists who claim that assisting the richest areas of the American economy brings stability and complete recovery. Brandon believes that the means by which these financial institutions and enormous businesses enable many others to achieve stability should be kept in mind not to mention the increase in employment rates those results from this. He gives the instance where businesses were provided with incentives to employ more employees and increase existing incomes. Besides, Brandon criticizes the idea of increasing taxes on the rich and America’s wealthy businesses with the hope to close the income gap. By doing this, Brandon suggests in reality that this action would not aid individuals in reaching the American Dream. As a contrast to this idea, Brandon quotes the concept that the more the rich earn the more they spend which results in the stimulation of the economy. To further prove that the American Dream is based on perception, Brandon gives different examples of perceptions of people and how that results in whether they believe that it is alive, on hold, or dead. Despite the media giving suggestions of the American Dream is out of vast for most of the Americans due to the images and stories of struggling workers that they share with the people, for instance, some have trust that as long as individuals still trust they have a chance of becoming better off than today, then the American Dream is unharmed. Additionally, Brandon shows that the American Dream has previously faced tests and trials. Some think that the Great Recession is a result of corruption and greed of the rich and powerful whereas there are those, like Brandon, that think that values have been adapted that are contained within the American Dream in respect to the tests and trials as well as the necessity in the continuation of the support of the business mechanisms that support the economy.