Change to Win released the results of the seventh in its ongoing series of American Dream surveys yesterday, measuring views on how strong majorities of working Americans view the economy, the role of government, the American Dream, and the action agenda that is at the heart of the new progressive majority.

The good news I was immediately struck with upon reading these survey results is that most working Americans believe the American Dream is still realistic... nearly two-thirds of working people surveyed said they believe the American Dream is a 'somewhat' or 'very realistic goal' for their family.

However, great economic distress and anxiety is taking its toll -- 58 percent of respondents believe it likely that a member of their family or someone they know will lose their job over the next year; 52 percent believe it likely that a member of their family or someone they know will lose their health insurance over that same period. Working Americans also specifically blame corporate greed and its stranglehold on government for the decline of the American Dream and they want Congress--which they rate poorly--to take action on the American Dream Agenda.

Time for action: 62 percent of respondents agree with the statement, "The time to act on health care, energy, and education is now. When we don't take action these problems get worse and cost much more," with just 30 percent taking the opposite position that "[w]e should not spend billions on major reforms in areas like health care, energy, and education unless we first stabilize the economy and can keep spending low."

In order to win over the emerging progressive majority among America's workers, Congress must implement an effective action agendathat includes cracking down on corporations that outsource good jobs (83 percent), creating a more progressive tax system (81 percent), encouraging and enforcing fairness in the workplace (83 percent), and providing quality, affordable health care (80 percent). "This is the year we make our elected officials accountable for the promises they made when we voted for them," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer and Change to Win chair Anna Burger.

* You can download the complete survey (PDF) conducted by Lake Research Partners, or a memo summarizing its findings (PDF) for more details. Summary of results from Change to Win's sixth American Dream Survey (released in Nov. 2008) can be viewed here.