The Politics of the American Dream : Democratic Inclusion in Contemporary American Political Culture

The Politics of the American Dream analyzes the role of the 'American Dream' in contemporary American political culture. Utilizing analytic political theory, Ghosh creates a unique picture of Dream Politics, and shows the effect on the landscape of American politics. What is 'the American Dream,' and why is it ubiquitous in today's political rhetoric? In this thought-provoking book, Ghosh analyzes the integral role of the American Dream in contemporary American politics. He argues that the Dream's central political function is its ability to offer a politics of democratic inclusion that traces a middle ground between multiculturalism and state-neutrality. One compelling reason for the popularity of the concept is that its roots can be traced back to the primordial values of the nation: work, virtue, and happiness. Political elites across the ideological spectrum refer to the Dream in their appeals, but Ghosh concludes that in doing so they rely on very different interpretations of the Dream's basic tenets. Clear and evocative, The Politics of the American Dream is essential reading for both scholars and observers of contemporary American political culture Front Matter....Pages i-xv Introduction....Pages 1-21 Front Matter....Pages 23-23 What Is the American Dream?....Pages 25-51 Front Matter....Pages 53-53 Rhetoric and Democratic Inclusion....Pages 55-82 Front Matter....Pages 83-83 The American Dream as “Lockean Sympathy”....Pages 85-105 Front Matter....Pages 107-107 Constitutive Elements....Pages 109-129 The Politics of Multiple Meanings....Pages 131-156 The American Dream in the Twenty-First Century....Pages 157-172 Back Matter....Pages 173-240