Reclaiming the American Dream: A Nonpartisan Blueprint for America’s Future

What does it mean for the American Dream to work - and how can the country tell whether it is actually making progress? Reclaiming the American Dream offers an evidence-based, nonpartisan framework for examining America's strengths, stresses, and capacity for renewal. Rather than asking readers to adopt a party program, the book separates values, facts, and cause-and-effect claims, then applies a consistent scorecard to the outcomes Americans reasonably expect from a successful country. The updated second edition examines ten interconnected systems: cost of living and economic mobility; housing and community stability; health care and longevity; education, skills, and the AI future of work; immigration and demographic change; government performance, debt, and public trust; public safety; infrastructure, energy, and climate resilience; technology, privacy, and cybersecurity; and national security. The book also introduces an American Dream Index, explains what the evidence can and cannot decide, compares historical periods without romanticizing them, and identifies measurable indicators readers can follow over time. Its purpose is not to tell readers what political conclusions to reach, but to make national performance easier to examine with discipline, context, and accountability.