AMERICAN DREAM Government & Economy The American dream, it has been said, means different things to different people. Differences in wealth and status affect the meaning of the dream for different people. Its meaning has also changed repeatedly over time. The reason that they have changed is because the American Dream is regulated by the government and the economy. An eighteenth century, white, male plantation owners' answer to the question, "What is the American Dream?" would probably be different from that of a modern, black, buisness-type female. A common essence shines through these many aspects of the American dream. The American Dream can be seen by three angles; free