On the other hand some problems still require solving and appear systemic problem in the system. Politicians still get elected on the basis of popularity they also still overestimate their ability to solve societal harms. Government intrusions have also become more prevalent, especially during the Cold War. Obviously Mencken was not right about everything. Today no one expects Americans to have equal wealth.
Society has changed, people believe that they have to put in effort to get a good job and keep it.
They think that individuals who show this kind of persistence should be rewarded. Creativity and individuality are encouraged in today s society. One only has to look at ads to see the changes. With ads like 7ups Un-Cola commercial following the crowd is no longer the cool thing. Instead being unique and not following the crowd is seen as important.