Despite recovery, fewer Americans identify as middle class
Today about as many Americans identify themselves as lower or lower-middle class (40%) as say they are in the middle class (44%).
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Today about as many Americans identify themselves as lower or lower-middle class (40%) as say they are in the middle class (44%).
One of the most striking findings from a recent Pew Research Center survey of general publics across the globe was the degree to which people see the gap between rich and poor as a major challenge. In 31 of 39 nations, half or more of those polled said inequality is a very big problem in their country.
A new report from the World Economic Forum ranks the 10 most important global trends, based on a poll of 1,592 leaders from academia, business, government, and non-profits. Here are some data points that compare and contrast the public’s views around the world with the trends identified by the experts. 1. Rising societal tensions in the Middle […]
Optimism in an Era of Growing Inequality and Economic Difficulty Despite an extended period of economic difficulty, Pew Research Center pollsters Andrew Kohut and Michael Dimock show that Americans’ core values and beliefs about economic opportunity, and the nation’s economic outlook, remain largely optimistic and unchanged. There is also little evidence that economic class is […]
Pew Research Center President Andrew Kohut writes in the New York Times while Americans are hearing more and more about class conflict, there is little indication that they are increasingly divided along these lines. Their concerns are about policies that give everyone a fair shot.
Over the past two decades, the number of Americans who see the country as divided along economic lines has increased sharply, and twice as many people now see themselves among the society’s “have-nots.”
Beyond partisanship — and behind those healthy economic indicators — Americans may be seeing something that most economists overlook.
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