Definition Of The Middle Class

[ThomWV]

The middle class is which ever one I'm in, or at least that is what I am told virtually everyone, other than the very wealthy, think they are in. All of the politicians talk about the middle class as if we are the salt of the earth, the cog in the wheel that makes everything in all of creation spin. Well, maybe we are. The question is, however, just what is the middle class? No one will say with any particularly measurable definition. I don't know why this is because the Federal Government itself has been good enough to have all the information we need to know. Here's what I say about it. The upper middle class are people who make about as much as a GS-14 or 15. The great mass of the middle class make about as much as a GS-12 or 13. A lot of young folks just getting into this world are making as much as a GS 7 to 11 and below that and you just ain't makin' it.

Every year the pay grade numbers creep up. Despite them being behind what the law says they should be I still think they are pretty representative of the lower and upper bounds of what should be though of as the middle class at least as far as income goes.

What do you all think? Got an alternative measurement?

[Nikia]

1. Not sure

I am finding that my lack of class consciousness is a social handicap so I am interested in this topic. I do think that most people think of themselves as middle class although it is interesting when I hear both people who I think of as poor or wealthy saying that they are.
How about someone who can buy practically any food that they would want to eat (and actually do) at a normal chain grocery store, but cannot buy practically everything that they would want and use.

[mtnester]

2. My definition would be...

30 year mortgage refinanced several times recently whenever you get some equity (college expenses) or to get better rate, 2 income household, borrowing against your house + taking out additional loans to put kids through college, 2 cars, owe money on them or lease, over insured due to fear, has a gun in the house but is locked away and would probably crap if they had to use it, or no one in the house has ever fired a gun in the last 5 years, alarm system on house because the thieves have cars too and like the suburbs real well (see 2 income household and alarm system above) relies on some overtime to make ends meet, would be homeless within 6 months if both wage earners lost their job, owes at least $2000.00 or more on one or more credit card, has an emergency line of credit account.

[Warpy]

3. Working class means you work for a living

...and manage your home without outside help.

Middle class has always been recognized as the class that could afford a maid, an au pair, or yard worker; some sort of part time or even full time help, whether they choose to do so or not. I forget which GOP bozo it was, but several years ago, he said it took at least a six figure income to be middle class. People howled at that, but he was right.

Poor means you're working class with no possibility of owning your own home.

Destitution is what the GOP has now defined as "poor." It means you have little to no income, no health care, no property, few skills, and no prospects.

[Nikia]

9. Then what is rich then?

Why is the word "middle" if it means the top 5% or so? Really though, a middle income family probably could afford a once per week cleaning person if they saw that as a priority. Come to think of it, when my dad got laid off from a decent job had to take a low wage job and his band (played at bars, not major record deal) broke up, I got reduced lunches and he still hired the worse off kids next door to mow the lawn during the summer for $10/week.

[gWbush is Mabus]

4. I would guess: two wage-earners making $40,000-150,000/year

[DrWeird]

5. 300,000 dollars a year is middle class?

I'm impressed.

[ThomWV]

6. As A Household Income Maybe

I might buy 150K way way up there at the top end of a middle classe household income, but I think 40 is way on the low side particularly if you assume two working adults in the household.

[rdfi-defi]

7. the middle class is:

the buffer zone in our new-feudalistic economy that lies between the moneyed elites and the poor who can not survive financially.

[tigereye]

8. those whose jobs are now being sent overseas

sorry to be maudlin

actually the median American income is somewhere in the $40,000 mark isn't it? And median home price is $150,000 plus, depending on where you live, so how does that fit in? I feel about this term that it is as vague and overused as the term "working Americans"

[seabeyond]

11. middle class is broken down

to lower middle 40-70
middle 70-120
upper middle 120-150

or something like that

[bobbieinok]

15. I have a really hard time viewing mid class as over 70k

[drhilarius]

10. My definiton

Middle class- group that is constantly manipulated into voting against its own interests.

[rdfi-defi]

18. i think it is a good idea to come up with non-monetary related criteria

for defining "middle class." it helps to illustrate that there is more to monetary classes than just net-worth

[Nikia]

12. Is it just money or are there other factors?

For example is person in a skilled trade middle class or does it involve having a degrre or non physical job?
Does it depend on where you live? $80,000 is well off in some rural areas but barely getting by in some urban areas. Are whole communties midlle class, lower class, upper class or does it have to do with your relative position in your community?

[YNGW]

13. Doesn't it depend on where you live?

Of course it does!! A middle-class income in California or NYC is going to be much higher than a middle-class income in Salina, Kansas.

[Lars39]

14. If you can afford health insurance, you are middle class.

If you can't, or what you can afford is especially crappy, you are not middle class.

[ContinentalOp]

16. I think we need a new definition of Middle Class

I think democrats need to propose a new definition of middle class that is all-inclusive. At the bottom of the scale are people who cannot afford to put food on the table and as a society we should help them out. At the upper end of the scale is that top 1% who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The system is set up to benefit them and their money-making operations and they don't give their fair share back to society. The rest of us are ALL middle class and we're all in the same boat together.

Republicans are good at dividing the middle class and convincing some to vote against their interests and in favor of tax cuts for the extremely wealthy. Imagine a small business owner who is worth several million dollars and lives in a large suburban mansion. This person likes to think of himself as a member of the upper-class elite and republicans like to make these folks feel like part of the club. In reality republican policies probably do more to hurt these small business owners and really only benefit enormous multinational corporations and people who are worth billions of dollars.

Do you think there's a way that the Democratic party could communicate a new vision of a broadened middle class that is inclusive of this entire spectrum of people? Perhaps with a new term like "the great class" to make it clear to all americans that the class war started by the republicans is not between you and your neighbor or even you and the guy in the ritzy mansion across town but between 99% of americans and the global corporations that wish to exploit us.

[rdfi-defi]

17. "make it clear to all americans that the class war....

...is not between you and your neighbor"

i agree with that part of your statement. i also agree that the democrats could pick up a lot of votes if they truly addressed this issue.

[sweetheart]

19. You're middle class when...

You grow up knowing you're on your own economically, and that your
parent's won't be able to help you much, if at all once you leave
the nest. Your parents both work whether or not they are still
together. You've always been covered by your parent's health
insurance policy, yet when you leave the house, you'll probably not
have health insurance.

If your parents are working 2 jobs and you don't have health
coverage, and nor do they... you're in the working poor.