Rediscovering the American Dream: Defining the Complex Creed in the Inaugural Addresses of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama

Author

• Vincent J. Scerbo

Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Strain, Christopher B.

Thesis/Dissertation Co-Chair

Hess, John J.

Abstract

In each of the four inaugural addresses delivered by George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the presidents referenced the American Dream, a concept that has grown to represent a shared set of values in American society. After explaining the origins of the American Dream and the ways in which certain values associated with the term have been emphasized or neglected over time, this analysis illustrates how each president invokes the term in those inaugural addresses, allowing the reader to understand the extent to which both presidents define the Dream on a spectrum ranging from meritocratic individualism to society-building communitarianism that all Americans can recognize and apply to their everyday lives. The entanglement of these values suggests the importance of maintaining balance between individual initiative and a community commitment to the preservation of the equality of opportunities inherent in “our nation’s promise.”

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Recommended Citation

Scerbo, Vincent J., "Rediscovering the American Dream: Defining the Complex Creed in the Inaugural Addresses of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama" (2014). Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019. 197.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_honors_2/197

Extent

74 p.

Identifier

FA00003627