Archive

The Decline of American Optimism

Sadness

This is very sad to see.

Depression-era Americans were more optimistic about the future than are Americans today, reports Pew.

In the Depression,

[F]ully 60% thought that opportunities for getting ahead were better (45%) or at least as good (15%) as in their father's day.

And it turned out … they were right! (Give or take a dozen years.)

Ominous possibility: might the more pessimistic Americans of today be right too?

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.