Date of Defense

2010

Department

Finance and Commercial Law

Abstract

The Honorable Leonard Boswell once said, "The American Dream is one of success, home ownership, college education for one's children and have a secure job to provide these and other goals" (2007). In order for this to be accurate, the government has to make it possible for these goals to come true. Throughout most of history, there have been times when the banks and private financial sector made it very difficult to acquire home ownership, while at other times, the government made it much easier to obtain a loan through lending. Unfortunately, everything that has happened in the past is what brought this country to the situation that it is currently facing. It has not always been easy to overcome this dream, but there are many people that are determined to have this dream come true for themselves and their family. The government is attempting to fix all of the financial mistakes that have been made in the past, and allowing people to own homes and live up to the American Dream. Home ownership is the leading indicator of economic stability in this country and has become the ideology for many families in the nation. For many people though, the answer needed is if they should attempt to achieve the perceived American dream. This thesis attempts to identify the historical perspective of American home ownership from the Revolutionary Period through today with the illusion of the "American Dream". Further research could be conducted from this starting point on topics including mortgage-backed securities, government regulation, and additional loan opportunities for new borrowers.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

Download

Share

COinS