--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This country isn't working for working…" description: "\"This country isn't working for working people. It's working only for people at the top. That's not the American dream. That's the American nightmare.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0de/elizabeth-warren-879_american-dream_this-country-isn-t-working-for-working-p_1142128.png" --- # This country isn't working for working people. It's… ![“This country isn't working for working people. It's working only for people at the top. That's not the American dream. That's the American nightmare.” quote by Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0de/elizabeth-warren-879_american-dream_this-country-isn-t-working-for-working-p_1142128.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0de/elizabeth-warren-879_american-dream_this-country-isn-t-working-for-working-p_1142128.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0de/elizabeth-warren-879_american-dream_this-country-isn-t-working-for-working-p_1142128.png) > “This country isn't working for working people. It's working only for people at the top. That's not the American dream. That's the American nightmare.” [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Economic policies favor elites, undermining the promise of equal opportunity. **In simple terms:** The system benefits the rich more. Key Takeaway Advocate for fair policies. Themes economics inequality politics Mood concerned determined Type political call‑to‑action When to use this quote - tax reform - living‑wage campaigns - union organizing Key Concepts public policy social justice Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from the current system? - What policies could level the field? A Different Perspective Reforms face strong opposition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Country Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country-isn-1021116/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dream American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream-american-305089/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Nightmare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nightmare/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-american-679823/) [Working people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-people/) ## Related quotes > [My fellow Americans, this is an amazing moment for me. To think that a once-scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become governor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/my-fellow-americans-this-is-an-amazing-moment-for-me-to-think-that-a/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [This is the city of dreamers and time and again it's the place where the greatest dream of all, the American dream, has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/this-is-the-city-of-dreamers-and-time-and-again-it-s-the-place-where/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [I feel that The American Dream is this fallacy that you come to the United States and win lotto. That's a disservice to The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-feel-that-the-american-dream-is-this-fallacy-that-you-come-to-the/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [Certainly Martin Luther King, in the mainstream perception of him, had a dream. Yes, he did. But the question becomes, what was that dream?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/certainly-martin-luther-king-in-the-mainstream-perception-of-him-had/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [It's time for the wealthy to pay their fair share before the middle class becomes the forgotten class.- And it's time for the banks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-s-time-for-the-wealthy-to-pay-their-fair-share-before-the-middle/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The American Dream is individualistic. Martin Luther King's dream was collective. The American Dream says, "I can engage in upward mobility and live the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-american-dream-is-individualistic-martin-luther-king-s-dream-was/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [You destroy the initiative of the working people if they don't feel they have a fighting chance to be a part of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-destroy-the-initiative-of-the-working-people-if-they-don-t-feel/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [What I care about is whether or not a leader will work with America's working people, whether or not a leader cares about responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/what-i-care-about-is-whether-or-not-a-leader-will-work-with-america-s/) [Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/) > [The direction of the country isn't controlled by one person on top making decisions. It's a mass movement of people making a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-conover/the-direction-of-the-country-isn-t-controlled-by-one-person-on-top/) [Adam Conover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-conover/) > [Am not on twitter to find date bcus the state of the country isn't upto that standard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleeyou-chalawa/am-not-on-twitter-to-find-date-bcus-the-state-of-the-country-isn-t/) [Aleeyou Chalawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleeyou-chalawa/) > [“A country isn't a rock. And it isn't an extension of one's self. \*It's what it stands for, when standing for something is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mann/a-country-isn-t-a-rock-and-it-isn-t-an-extension-of-one-s-self-it-s/) [Abby Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mann/) > [Suburb: a place that isn't city, isn't country, and isn't tolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/suburb-a-place-that-isn-t-city-isn-t-country-and-isn-t-tolerable/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [We are all in this together. We will all make it or none of us will make it. If everyone cleans up their act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-danson/we-are-all-in-this-together-we-will-all-make-it-or-none-of-us-will/) [Ted Danson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-danson/) > [A country isn't sovereign if we can't control who comes in and who's allowed to come in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-schlafly/a-country-isn-t-sovereign-if-we-can-t-control-who-comes-in-and-who-s/) [Phyllis Schlafly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-schlafly/) > [“The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the measure of a country isn't in how its richest citizens fare, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-reynolds/the-more-i-thought-about-it-the-more-i-realized-that-the-measure-of-a/) [Abigail Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-reynolds/) ## More by Elizabeth Warren > [Every time the U.S. government makes a low-cost loan to someone, it's investing in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/every-time-the-u-s-government-makes-a-low-cost-loan-to-someone-it-s/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [“For capitalism to work, we all need one another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/for-capitalism-to-work-we-all-need-one-another/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [“The single best predictor that a family would go bankrupt was if they had a child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/the-single-best-predictor-that-a-family-would-go-bankrupt-was-if-they/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [ I can remember riding in the car with \[my daughter\] Amelia, when she was very small, and we'd talk about money the same way… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/i-can-remember-riding-in-the-car-with-my-daughter-amelia-when-she-was/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [That's how we build the economy of the future. An economy with more jobs and less debt, we root it in fairness. We grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/that-s-how-we-build-the-economy-of-the-future-an-economy-with-more/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Homeowners refinance their loans when interest rates go down. Businesses refinance their loans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/homeowners-refinance-their-loans-when-interest-rates-go-down/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [There are a lot of things that people say about Hillary Clinton. But nobody says that she doesn't know how to throw a punch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/there-are-a-lot-of-things-that-people-say-about-hillary-clinton-but/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I don't think anyone went the polls and said, 'I am casting my vote to make sure that Wall Street has better chances to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/i-don-t-think-anyone-went-the-polls-and-said-i-am-casting-my-vote-to/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [With post offices and postal workers already on the ground, USPS could partner with banks to make a critical difference for millions of Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/with-post-offices-and-postal-workers-already-on-the-ground-usps-could/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [We should stop having a conversation about cutting Social Security a little bit or a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/we-should-stop-having-a-conversation-about-cutting-social-security-a/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > ['Middle class' used to be synonymous with secure, with steady, with boring, because middle-class people were people who were pretty much safe from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/middle-class-used-to-be-synonymous-with-secure-with-steady-with/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [You can put handcuffs on people who push the envelope. When they break the law, they deserve to have handcuffs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/you-can-put-handcuffs-on-people-who-push-the-envelope-when-they-break/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [The broken consumer credit market had to be repaired by making sure that consumers had the right information and could use it effectively. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/the-broken-consumer-credit-market-had-to-be-repaired-by-making-sure/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [“When you have no real power, go public—really public. The public is where the real power is. Those”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/when-you-have-no-real-power-go-public-really-public-the-public-is/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) [Explore all 342 Elizabeth Warren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) ## More American dream quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [Are we a nation of guarantees or are we a nation of opportunities to achieve the American dream?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/are-we-a-nation-of-guarantees-or-are-we-a-nation-of-opportunities-to/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [I believe keeping our promises should be our highest priority and that means saving Social Security and Medicare while preserving the American dream for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-believe-keeping-our-promises-should-be-our-highest-priority-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Our families and our homes are the center of American life, Everything we do is to make those homes-and the lives in them-more beautiful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/our-families-and-our-homes-are-the-center-of-american-life-everything/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) > [I want people to know where I come from. I think I have come really far from that, and I did it on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-lee/i-want-people-to-know-where-i-come-from-i-think-i-have-come-really/) [AJ Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-lee/) > [We need to remain a nation that doesn't just welcome but that celebrates legal immigrants who come here seeking to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-need-to-remain-a-nation-that-doesn-t-just-welcome-but-that/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [By disgracing and degrading the presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/by-disgracing-and-degrading-the-presidency-of-the-united-states-by/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [“Let's make no mistake about this: The American Dream starts with the neighborhoods. If we wish to rebuild our cities, we must first rebuild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/let-s-make-no-mistake-about-this-the-american-dream-starts-with-the/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [As a kid, I learned from my parents, teachers, coaches, and friends that what mattered most was Truth - to uncover it, share it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/as-a-kid-i-learned-from-my-parents-teachers-coaches-and-friends-that/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Theres a zoom up in the TV screen Living cancer to our self-esteem yea Cause if this an airless beauty queen But everything aint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentinooo-c/theres-a-zoom-up-in-the-tv-screen-living-cancer-to-our-self-esteem/) [Valentinooo\_c](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentinooo-c/) > [College is part of the American dream. It shouldnt be part of a financial nightmare for families](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mikulski/college-is-part-of-the-american-dream-it-shouldnt-be-part-of-a/) [Barbara Mikulski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mikulski/) > [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I believe it from the bottom of my heart, and your sons and daughters, too, can have the American dream come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-a-ribicoff/i-believe-it-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart-and-your-sons-and-daughters/) [Abraham A. Ribicoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-a-ribicoff/) > [I dare to imagine a country where every child I hold in my hands, are all God's children, regardless of the color of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wellstone/i-dare-to-imagine-a-country-where-every-child-i-hold-in-my-hands-are/) [Paul Wellstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wellstone/) [Browse all 1,001 American dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This country isn't working for working people. It's working only for people at the top. That's not the American dream. 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