Part 1: Give a general introduction to the problem, including the thesis statement. The thesis statement should present a clearly defined position on a debatable topic.
• In this argumentative essay, we will discuss the gradual dissipation of middle class America. We will explore the ideal of the middle class dream at its creation and the deteriration of the same dream throughout the decades in America.
Part 2: Present the history of the problem, including, perhaps, past attempts at a solution.
• Between 1945 until 1973, America underwent the Golden Age for the middle class. During this period, the country ended a major war and the great depression, which made the financial climate conducive for the middle class. A substantial increase
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The ideal of middle class has become a major talking part for politician from both sides of the isle. AARP describes how the middle class had declined by various factors, which includes the decline in marriage rates and the completion of higher education degrees to increase household incomes.
Part 4: Indicate what will happen if the problem is not solved.
• If left unchecked, the decline in the middle class will creates a larger gap between the wealthy and poor in America. If the middle class continues to dissipate, the cost of living will continue to trend in the favor of the wealthy, which will create an unprecedented level of poverty in America.
Part 5: Connect the argument with facts that prove your points. Note the areas of objections and offer concessions if needed.
• During the past couple of decades, the decline in the middle class has been associated to the political agenda of the Republican Party. By ending governmental subsidies and other programs created to build the middle class, has ultimately ceased the growth. However, realizing the importance of the middle class to our fragile economic platform, the Democratic and Independent political parties are desperately trying to create and revamp the middle class
In the reading of Middle Class Shrinks Further as More Fall Out Instead of Climbing Up, it is very true about the findings about the middle class. Honestly, 35,000 to 100,000 in today’s money are a huge gap differences. This is where now they started calling some individuals upper middle class. The article also, does a great job talking about Social Security. When was brings in Social Security, can a individual who was making 700 every week at Shoprite (which is middle class), at age 64, then retire a 66, and collect Social Security, and only get a paycheck for 600 every week, did they just get moved to lower class? In the reading The Shrinking American Middle Class says age is a big factor, as well as race, family status, and education.
My essay challenges how each political party feels in regard to the middle class. I presented viewpoints from various sources that were able to engage in a conversation. Many Americans believe very strongly in favor of one political party, but in my essay I presented points that support and oppose each political party. This challenges the idea that a person can only support one political party when their interests can support another.
1. Identify the key problem in the case and explaining why it is the key problem.
The largest group in America is facing extinction. We are talking of course about the American middle class. In 1971 the American middle class population was 36% higher than the population of the lower class. However, today the middle class population is now only 22% higher than the lower class (McDill). This is only a 14% drop spread over 44 years. The major issue here is that while the middle class shrinks, the upper and lower classes are growing. Financial experts believe that soon the middle class will become nonexistent and America will be divided into two extremes, poverty and wealth. This issue has become so severe that the United States government has stepped in and created a “middle class task force” passed as part of the
In “A New Theory for Why Trump Voters Are So Angry — That Actually Makes Sense,” by Jeff Guo, posits the idea that middles class Americans are infuriated due to economic frustration. In his article, I learned that these people embrace Trump because they believe they will eventually climb to a higher rank on the economic ladder than they occupy now. According to Guo, most of Trump supporters are bested by the uncertainty of their future economy, while feeling they are not getting their fair share of decision-making power (2). After carefully analyzing and reading Guo article I agree with his assertion about the dissatisfaction felt by the working middle class because as I stated in my essay, they have a strong allegation to make, their struggles are existent. The middle-class does, in fact, enjoys less opportunity, and job security than earlier generations
For starters, we are all vital in understanding the construction of the social class. We each play a role and the middle class is crucial to a stable economic system. To promote further understanding of this inequality, we must accept that the rich keep getting richer and the middle class remains in their current class. If only 400 individuals have more wealth than half of the US population, then there is no denying that there is a struggle for the middle class. The one percent accumulates most of the country’s total income and wealth, which creates an overall gap between the classes. Consumer spending is 70% of the US economy, basically, the middle class is the heart of the economy since they spend
In the previous 20 years, the middle class population has shrunk drastically mostly as an aftereffect of past political
I agree, the weakened middle class can be drivers of economic growth and should be a topic for economic discussion and policy change. A strong middle class creates a stable source of demand for goods and services and the economy, so the corporations need to focus on reducing financial stress on the middle class. Companies should focuses on manufacturing their products, innovate, and create jobs right here in the U.S. By creating and marketing quality products on
It is true what Robert Reich stated about needing a strong middle class because the economy cannot simply grow without one long-term. The United States should focus on rebuilding a vibrant and wealthy middle class, by creating equality. When the middle-class citizens feel equal and content, they tend to take more action by participating in rebuilding the economy because they have more money to spend. Secondly, the government should strive to make the poorest just wealthy enough to be in the middle-class, because acquiring a great amount of poverty can cause more debt in the long run, and create even more social inequality, therefore causing the gamelan to be much more difficult to have a strong vibrant, and socio-economic class.
The media especially enjoys reducing the severity of the class disparity by pushing the idea that the majority falls within the middle class. Not only does entertainment follow a typical middle-class protagonists format but the news also allots middle class politics the most screen time. However, the middle class is actually shrinking indefinitely but this rising development continues to be ignored.
In inequality for all, Robert Reich’s claim is that the middle class of American’s has quickly declined and that this middle class is crucial to a stable economy because it generates the real jobs creators. He describes how a large middle class launches the economy into a “virtuous cycle,” defining it in steps, wages go up, workers buy more stuff, tax revenues increase, the government invests more, and workers are better educated.
In other words, America has a widening gap between its wealthy and poor. As the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, there is a problem emerging: the disappearance of the middle class. Low-wage workers continue to fall behind those who make higher wages, and this only widens the gap between the two. There has been an economic boom in the United States, which has made the country more prosperous than it has ever been. That prosperity does not reach all people; it seems to only favor the rich. Rising economic segregation has taken away many opportunities for the poor to rise in America today. The poor may find that the economic boom has increased their income; however, as their income increase so does the prices they must for their living expenses (Dreier, Mollenkopf, & Swanstrom 19).
Sylvia elaborates on the decline of the middle class and their reasons behind it. The middle class is falling lower and lower than it once was, due to the interests of bigger and better things. If money keeps getting pumped into the economy in important ways the American Dream will continue to become more and more impossible to even consider achieving. People put so much pressure on others that are in extreme poverty to live normal lives. James Abro emphasizes about the pressure “I think it’s unfair to expect that people who don’t have access to basic needs—like adequate food, housing, and health care—should live normal and productive lives. To then punish them on top of that—by denying work and income supports, for example—is not only immoral, it’s irrational as well” (Abro). He does an exultant job supporting the fact that the pressure wealthy citizens put on the less fortunate. The wealthy expect and assume that the less fortunate have the same opportunities and access to things as they do. Thye then deny them work and their time because they are less fortunate and not on the same social status as they are. Poverty stems from people who do not have the same resources and
The world’s middle class is growing while America’s middle class stays the same. United States has a smaller middle class compared to other countries like China, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer and the middle class either stays how it is or gets smaller. Every modern country’s goal is to cut poverty and grow the middle class. In order to grow the middle class we need to increase the minimum wage. The minimum wage has been raised from 7.25 dollars per hour to about 9-10 dollars per hour. With minimum wage increase we encourage workers to get out of poverty and have an ability to improve their financial status. Another reason why United States has a “poor” middle class is that higher education puts kids into debt while higher education in other countries is tuition free. Students in debt are not likely to become wealthy anytime soon which raises a question if higher education is even worth it. Making higher education affordable is a key to grow the middle class. The other reason that might be affecting the middle class being small is medical insurance not being available for the most. Not everyone can afford medical insurance. Government needs to provide affordable medical insurance to improve the middle class and cut down poverty. Last but not least, opening a business is a hard task for low and middle class. While rich open up businesses and expand, lower class is struggling. Having some economic aid from government
While there have been tendencies in this direction, especially among the farmers and peasantry, there has been no clear long run trend toward decline of the middle class. At the same time as there has been polarization of classes, there have been new middle groupings created. Some of these are small business people, shopkeepers, and small producers while others are professional and managerial personnel, and some intellectual personnel. Well paid working class members and independent trades people mi ght consider themselves to be members of the middle class. Some segments of this grouping have expanded in number in recent years. While it is not clear that these groups hold together and constitute a class in any Marxian sense of being