Our kids: The American dream in crisis

It’s the American dream: get a good education, work hard, buy a house and achieve prosperity and success. This is the America we believe in—a nation of opportunity, constrained only by ability and effort. But during the last 25 years, we have seen a disturbing “opportunity gap” emerge. Americans have always believed in equality of opportunity, the idea that all kids, regardless of their family background, should have a decent chance to improve their lot in life. Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, will address this central tenet of the American dream that seems no longer true or at the least, much less true than it was.