What is the Middle Class?

[bjl584]

Middle Class

Politicians love to talk about the middle class, but what is it really?

[disneysteve]

“In the United States, it’s probably more of a cultural category than an economic one,”

Exactly! People are constantly trying to define the middle class based on income levels: more than this much and less than that much. But that just doesn't work. There are too many variables. What if you have no kids vs. someone with a similar income with 4 kids? What if you live in Manhattan vs. someone with the same income who lives in Nebraska? What if you have substantial ongoing medical bills due to a chronic illness for a member of your family?

Just looking at income is a very poor way of comparing one person, or one household, to another.

[Nika]

Middle class is this magical place where you make too much to qualify for assistance for things like childcare, healthcare and quality education, but too little to afford these things on your own.

[Goldy1]

So true Nika. You better not have dared to have saved any of the money you made if you want assistance either in the event you lose your job and need some help bc any money in the bank means no help. That's why I am pro national heathcare(and I don't view it as a party issue either)
Oh if I wreck my body instead of making helathy choices like I am(not smoking, not drinking, not eating bad food and yes some foods are bad, I dont' buy the no such thing as a bad food line), and get a serious medical diagnosis I can also qualify for a state run insurance pool for people who are denied insurance which has remarkable reasonable rates.
I know many diseases are inherited and not in the least bit anyone's fault.

[shiftins]

Middle class is this magical place where you make too much to qualify for assistance for things like childcare, healthcare and quality education, but too little to afford these things on your own.

I think this guy got it right

[isaac]

Middle class is this magical place where you make too much to qualify for assistance for things like childcare, healthcare and quality education, but too little to afford these things on your own.

This is where I'm stuck!

[Nsmith508]

There really isn't a concrete definition - there was a bit on NPR about this.

[GrimJack]

Well, the original usage of 'middle class' is what lies between working class and upper class and usually includes skilled craftsmen, professionals, et c. It really isn't usually an actual dollar amount but if you want a dollar amount, it would probably between 40k and 120k. The Federal GS wage system for someone with a 2yr degree would be either a GS-5 or GS-6 which is $27.4k-30.5k to start (and does not include 'locality pay' - in Seattle $33.4k-37.2). These are Step One rates, the steps go up to 10. The definition of this pay range is:

The General Schedule pay system covers the largest group of civilian white-collar Federal employees and is identified by the pay plan codes GS, GM, GL, GP, and GR.

White collar is generally considered middle class. The highest GS rating is GS 15 - that pay starts at $99.6k for step one.

Pay scales have been frozen at 2010 levels.

As you can see, government workers are not overpaid - GS 10 and over are considered management up to executive level (not official definitions).

[senter]

The "middle class" is an arbitrary concoction designed and intended to protect the status quo from a true class analysis.

The designation of "classes" should always be based on a person's relationship to the economy in a real way.... do you control the means of production, or do you work for someone who does? This would not be arbitrary.

There are two major classes: you either are among those whose livelihood is derived from the surplus value produced by others who work for you, or you aren't.

The whole story of life and the dynamics of the nation result from the conflicting forces involved in this two-class relationship. Whether we look at war, tax law, minimum wage, entitlements, banking and saving, immigration, or Black Friday, it's a story of "class warfare" and as Warren Buffet said, his class is winning.

The notion of "middle class" effectively diverts this whole story of life and channels it into a "safe" discussion of the fortunes of workers whether positive or negative. And we fall for it at our own peril.

[GrimJack]

The "middle class" is an arbitrary concoction designed and intended to protect the status quo from a true class analysis.

Actually, I am pretty sure that the middle class arose by breaking the status quo; the middle class was not noble, landowner, laborer, or clergy.

The designation of "classes" should always be based on a person's relationship to the economy in a real way.... do you control the means of production, or do you work for someone who does? This would not be arbitrary.

There are two major classes: you either are among those whose livelihood is derived from the surplus value produced by others who work for you, or you aren't.

You are creating a false dichotomy

The whole story of life and the dynamics of the nation result from the conflicting forces involved in this two-class relationship. Whether we look at war, tax law, minimum wage, entitlements, banking and saving, immigration, or Black Friday, it's a story of "class warfare" and as Warren Buffet said, his class is winning.

The notion of "middle class" effectively diverts this whole story of life and channels it into a "safe" discussion of the fortunes of workers whether positive or negative. And we fall for it at our own peril.

The reason the concept of the middle class came into being is because they do not fit into your false dichotomy. The middle class exemplifies the synthesis of those 2 classes into a third class; ie, someone who is both the boss and the worker; the professional class, included in this are the craftsmen, artists, doctors, lawyers and small business owners.

[senter]

Your perspective does not reveal the class struggle that is responsible for our political and economic realities. In fact, it conceals them and therby disarms the working class which includes the middle "class", the poor, and even the small business owner. The point is control. The question is "who is in control" and it isn't the middle class or the working class.

And who is being controlled? Answer: anyone not in the top, decision-making, power wielding, corporate-controlling class that so often directs our politicians in various ways including thousands of lobbyists.

What is the middle class? Does it cover people earning between $30,000 and $150,000 per year? Or is it those between $35,000 and $180,000 per year? And who says so?

That is all arbitrary. And that is why it disarms us by depriving us of a solid, meaningful class analysis.

[GrimJack]

Your perspective does not reveal the class struggle that is responsible for our political and economic realities. In fact, it conceals them and therby disarms the working class which includes the middle "class", the poor, and even the small business owner. The point is control. The question is "who is in control" and it isn't the middle class or the working class.

And who is being controlled? Answer: anyone not in the top, decision-making, power wielding, corporate-controlling class that so often directs our politicians in various ways including thousands of lobbyists.

What is the middle class? Does it cover people earning between $30,000 and $150,000 per year? Or is it those between $35,000 and $180,000 per year? And who says so?

That is all arbitrary. And that is why it disarms us by depriving us of a solid, meaningful class analysis.

You are either a bot or a died-in-the-wool Marxist - I am going to go with bot.

[RickLeibo]

short definition

Put simply the middle class in this country are the people that are royally ........