Social Class In America Research Paper

Throughout U.S history, socio-economic classes have been established to categorize our place in society. The lower, middle, and upper class, make up the socio-economic structure of the American people. The social system groups people according to wealth, income, education, social network and other factors. Many different models have been proposed to characterize people’s social class, though the U.S most commonly uses the simple three class structure. The middle class, the social group between the upper and working classes, including professional workers, small business owners, and low-level managers; is essential to a thriving economy and successful democracy (Social Class, n.d). Aristotle, one of the most famous philosophers believed that a struggling middle class results in a poor democracy. With economic hardships often occurring throughout the past, as well as great achievements, America’s middle class has fluctuated from a tight squeeze to a thriving percentage. However, today America’s middle class is falling and politicians are failing to pick it back up. Some solutions have been proposed to fix today’s middle class problem, yet wealthy politicians make it difficult when they …show more content…
The middle class is the source of economic growth (Madland, 2011). Over hundreds of millions of Americans have worked hard to build an economy that provides for more than just the one percent. Starting businesses, self-improving, and innovative ideas are key components in developing a broad middle class. The nation’s economic growth is affected by all these factors and it’s constantly feeding off the success of the bourgeois. The Center for American Progress’s Middle Class and Economic Growth Project, has written policy proposals in hopes to provide a better understanding of the compelling correlation between a strong middle class and the nation’s economic health (Ettlinger,