Politicians devote a lot of energy talking about the concerns of “the middle class,” which is not surprising since the vast majority of voters consider themselves to be members of that group.

But stepping back from the political fray to try to discern what it actually means to be in the middle class, and what the genuine economic challenges confronting that grouping of individuals might be, produces a nuanced portrait that does not always conform to the assumptions and claims of office seekers, journalists, and the public itself.

This pamphlet, the tenth in our series The Basics, attempts to lay out straightforward facts and data that are useful to anyone attempting to understand the makeup of the American middle class, how their circumstances have changed over time, and the economic conditions and problems they confront.

The Basics Series:

America is engaged in difficult and complex policy debates over critical issues. There are conflicting claims and disagreements over the meaning of the facts and figures relating to the significance of the social safety net, the way our political system works, and the economic issues facing our nation.

The Century Foundation hopes to help clarify these issues by collecting the best available information and presenting it in a series of pamphlets called The Basics.

The intent of this series is in keeping with the Foundation’s mandate. Since 1919, The Century Foundation, formerly the Twentieth Century Fund, has sponsored and supervised research on economic, social, and political issues. As a nonpartisan but not neutral organization, our underlying philosophy regards government as an instrument, not an enemy, of the people, and therefore we strive, in the words of our bylaws, for the “improvement of economic, industrial, civic, cultural, and educational conditions.”

The Century Foundation also believes in the power of wellreasoned, well-researched ideas. These pamphlets are presented in that spirit. They are our contribution to increased citizen understanding and wiser governmental decisions.

Download The Basics: The Middle Class at Risk

PDF format, 1.2MB, 52Pages.

I. Who Is Middle Class?

“Politicians court the middle class. Pundits reference it. Sociologists study it. Most people think they belong to it.
But we don’t really know what it is.”
— Jennifer Wheary,
“Measuring the Middle: Assessing What It Takes to Be Middle Class,” 2005

Nearly 90 percent of Americans “define themselves as middle class or say they ascribe to middle class thinking.”1 But leaving aside selfperceptions (not everyone can be in the middle any more than Lake Wobegon’s children can all be above average), economic data can help to define more clearly who is legitimately in the middle and who
is not. ...

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The Century Foundation, founded in 1919 by the progressive businessman Edward A. Filene, is a nonprofit public policy research institution committed to the belief that a mix of effective government, open democracy, and free markets is the most effective solution to the major challenges facing the United States. Our staff, fellows, and contract authors produce publications and participate in events that (1) explain and analyze public issues in plain language, (2) provide facts and opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of different policy strategies, and (3) develop and call attention to distinctive ideas that can work.

Our efforts cut across many areas of policy, but focus particularly on four basic challenges facing the United States:

    * persistent economic inequality combined with the shift to American households of financial risks previously borne by employers and government;
    * the aging of the population;
    * preventing and responding to terrorism while preserving civil liberties; and
    * restoring America’s international credibility as an effective and cooperative leader in responding to global security and economic dangers.

Those themes lead us to produce work on issues such as Social Security and pensions, health care, education, tax and budget policy, homeland security, immigration, election reform, international terrorism, our relationship with the United Nations and other multilateral institutions, and policies toward regions like the Middle East and East Asia.
In recent years, the ascendance of conservative ideology has obscured the value of progressive ideas and delayed a much needed correction to failed policies. Much of our recent work, therefore, of necessity has attempted to demonstrate why radical approaches to these issues have been counterproductive.

The Century Foundation’s long history of providing reliable and insightful analysis, as well as our decades of experience in convening bipartisan, diverse task forces and working groups, particularly distinguishes us from other think tanks. Political forces have swung dramatically during the passing decades and surely will again in the future. But our commitment to offering reason and facts in the pursuit of national progress endures.

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