The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
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Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#2This is a misleading take on the data. A much better analysis would look at the size of the population who was middle class or upper class. If there is an equal increase in upper class population for every loss of middle class population, that just means that our incomes as a population are increasing. All things equal, both the mean and median would increase in that circumstance.
And that's what the data looks like to a large degree. The middle class has shrunk from 61% to 50%, but the upper class has increased by nearly the same amount, 14% to 21%. Yes, that is a decrease in the middle class-or-better bucket, but it's nowhere near dire enough to be described as a tipping point. I agree that the shrinking middle class is something that needs to be discussed, but this article does the discussion a giant disservice.
Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#3Interesting that (since 1971) of the 10% that have "left" the middle class, 7% have moved upward while 3% have moved downward.
Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#4Here's a link to the Georgetown paper they reference as well: https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Good-Jobs_Full...
Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#5What I find interesting is the upper-income group is growing faster than the lower-income group.
Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#6Interesting that (since 1971) of the 10% that have "left" the middle class, 7% have moved upward while 3% have moved downward.
A bifurcation of society on the order of 4% over 45 years seem slow enough to not worry about...
Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#7Here's a link to the Georgetown paper they reference as well: https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Good-Jobs_Full...
The title of the paper is:
GOOD JOBS ARE BACK:
2015
College Graduates Are First in Line
and the first listed funding source is the Lumina Foundation, whose first line on the about page says:
> Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation committed to increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.
Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#8Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#9Here's a link to the Georgetown paper they reference as well: https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Good-Jobs_Full...
The title of the paper is: GOOD JOBS ARE BACK: 2015 College Graduates Are First in Line and the first listed funding source is the Lumina Foundation, whose first line on the about page says: > Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation committed to increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.
Excellent digging -- thanks!
Re: The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class
#10This is a misleading take on the data. A much better analysis would look at the size of the population who was middle class or upper class. If there is an equal increase in upper class population for every loss of middle class population, that just means that our incomes as a population are increasing. All things equal, both the mean and median would increase in that circumstance. And that's what the data looks like…
The article is just stating the middle class is shrinking - and inequality is therefore increasing. And increasing inequality is a problem.
The problem with increasing inequality is not necessarily decreasing mean incomes. Inequality is a problem because of the increasing class-based polarization of society, the power differential between different families, and a host of other factors. All of which can be present and problematic regardless of whether mean incomes are increasing.
This article isn't even implying that mean incomes are decreasing.
I'm not clear why this article does the discussion a great disservice.