Faith in American dream dwindles amid sour economic sentiments, poll finds

Only a quarter of those surveyed agreed that people like them and their family have a good shot of increasing their standard of living - just 6% strongly agreed, while 19% somewhat agreed, 23% strongly disagreed and 19% somewhat disagreed, and 32% did not agree or disagree. The 25% statistic of those indicating they have a good chance of bettering their living standard marked a record low for polls dating to 1987, the Journal reported.

A large majority of those surveyed indicated that, in comparison to their parents' generation, it has become more difficult to purchase a home. 

While 58% indicated that it is now much harder to buy a home, 23% felt that it is a little more difficult, 2% thought it is much easier, 5% felt it is a bit easier, and 11% did not see any difference in home-buying difficulty.