The Politics Of The Middle Class Essay

After the end of the Civil War, industrialization and urbanization blossomed and changed the nation. Instead of presidential power, men were aiming to be industrial tycoons for their wealth and power. To the people, these capitalists were regarded as either admirable “captains of industry” or corrupt “robber barons”. Even though to some people they may seem like “captains of industry”, but they were actually corrupt “robber barons” for several reasons regarding corruption, employee issues, and matters of the social classes.

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 the book Money and Class in America written by Lewis Lapham, the way Americans look at money is exposed. It compares other nations view on monetary value against that of the Americans. It is a fact that we place more value on money than anything else. This book illustrates the corruptness of the “American Dream” as it focuses money as the “currency of the soul” and through the dream, men remain free to rise or fall. Their life is the product of the effort and the decisions put forth by them.

The very famous Theodore Roosevelt once said, “A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy.” From 1900 to 1918 the progressive era took America by storm. This era progresses reform and try to change the social activist way of thinking. We see how this era main goal was to eliminate corruption to make society whole. However, the first closest related factors-industrial, imperialism, and nationalism were being combined for a change in American history. People party was being formed, Wealth became a major issue, and equality was trying to be achieved. These major choices from the progressive era affected the Second Industrial Revolution in more ways than one.

As the age of Reconstruction ended, the Gilded Age of big businesses began in the United States and with it came new jobs and goods for Americans. When new corporations became more successful, it made an immense impact on the economy, the political system and the lives of citizens. Economically, the cost of food and living went down significantly as well as a surplus of jobs. Political leaders were corrupted by big business as their decisions and laws were influenced by the wealthy class’ bribes and stealing from the common man. Though mass production allowed goods to be made quicker and in greater quantity, the workers’ horrible working conditions and remarkably long hours caused the creation of unions and strikes. Despite the great effect big business had on the economy in the Gilded Age through the decline in the cost of food and fuel, the daily lives of average working-class citizens were negatively impacted by long hours, horrid working conditions leading to unions and a corrupted political system.

When we as human beings are born into this world, there are things that we have control over, and other things that we have no say in. We control what we do with our lives, what schools to attend, what activities to be a part of, and who we marry, for example. This seems to be quite fair, and for the most part, we take it for granted. While we do have these kinds of freedoms, there are other aspects of life that we have no control over. One thing that we are born into, is our social class. No matter who you are, there is a social class that you fall into, and you really have no say in it. The one social class that seems to be the most populated is the middle, or working class. These people usually classify

In 1958, a man named George Mowry explains s economic, social, and political divisions of the progressivism movement. The progressivism movement ties in a lot with our society today and shows how history does indeed repeat itself. Mowry describes the good, and bad of progressivism, but emphasizes the bad. Mowry is really trying to exhibit the differences between capitalism and socialism in his essay and explain why progressivism is not good for the well being and future of America, which can be proven today but our economic instability and division as a nation. More importantly however Mowry displays how progressives try to create, “heaven on earth” by their moral actions.

In Edward McClelland’s essay “RIP, the Middle Class: 1946-2013,” McClelland discusses to his audience that the middle class is slowly vanishing and soon enough we will only be left with the rich and the poor. Throughout the essay, McClelland uses various examples to demonstrate how the middle class will no longer exist. McClelland talks about how education is vital for pursuing a job at a reasonable pay that a person can live off of. Before, people were able to leave high school and go straight into a job with a pay that could support them. Nowadays, the same jobs that were supporting people before require a lot more education and still aren’t giving enough money that will allow them to live comfortably. Even though there are still jobs people can thrive at that will make more money without a serious education , the middle class is struggling to make it economically, because it is harder to find a job without education and financially it’s harder to make ends meet.

The Progressive Era was a term used to describe a time period that had numerous reforms to correct the problems of the country. The origins of this time period was created from the lower class aiming to, “eliminate corruption in government, regulate business practices, address health hazards, and improve working conditions.” Not only did the lower class support reform, but middle class workers too because they were in competition with immigrants for jobs or they were women struggling for the same rights that men had. Another reform Progressives wanted was the right to a direct say in the primaries of elections so the public had more control within government. With more control in the government, this would allow the power of big corporation to be limited and prevent future problems that the middle and lower classes could endure. These goals the reformers had in the Progressive Era, led to a plethora of movements and actions in

In the late 18th century, during The Progressive era, which was an era during which people called for change in order to solve problems and at that time, there were many problems in society, and Reformers wanted to improve industrial conditions, living conditions, and politics. Many cities were experiencing industrialization and rapid urbanization in the post-civil war years, creating a range of problems, including poor working conditions. To improve working conditions, reformers started by restricting child labor, and later established labor laws, including the eight-hour work day and a minimum wage. Having a safer workplace, many people felt safer in work. Due to the rapid growth and urbanization, there were poor living conditions, and homes and apartments were not safe. People were forced to live in crowded tenements with poor conditions, where diseases were spread easily. Reform housing conditions and sanitation improved living conditions, and sanitary reform improved public health. Reformers cleaned the streets, improving the way of living for the poor. The Social Justice Movement attracted people moving and immigrating to America. It focused on the need of houses, better working conditions, and better community services and had a large impact on the lives of people living in poverty and benefited their lives and jobs in many ways. Progressives also wanted to improve government and increase citizens participation by reforming the tax system, eliminating corruption, granting women the right to vote, and passing measures to increase citizens' participation in government. Political reforms included a preliminary election which gave all members the right to participate in nominating and voting. Another political reform was a process that gave voters the power to remove elected officials from the office through a

In the period before the Civil War there were many significant reform movements in American history. During this time we see reformers dedicate to causes such as free public schools, legal and political rights for women, and ending slavery. In our textbook we see that industrial change led to a large migration of immigrants from Europe to move to America for a better life. “The first large scale factories were erected in New England, and for the next thirty years, the United States had the most rapidly developing industrial economy in the world” (Goldfield, Page 315). At this time the middle class grew as well. This group led to a large population of individuals who believed that social reform was necessary to provide a better future for their children.

On Christmas Eve in 2010, my grandmother received a gift from a hospice nurse who was assisting with my grandfather’s deteriorating health. Initially both surprised and embarrassed by the gesture, her emotions quickly changed once she removed the wrapping. A single package of Ramen Noodles was revealed. Embarrassment changed to confusion as she attempted to wrap her mind around what she had received. The hospice worker drove a 1997 Plymouth Voyager that she regularly complained about not being able to run properly for more than a week. She wore old worn out clothing and my grandmother claims she had never seen the woman wear jewelry before. It was evident that she was not wealthy. Although she could not afford a gift, the nurse in her

The late nineteenth century (1875-1900), having just witnessed the long years of Reconstruction, left America in the spirit of change. This ardor led to the creation of new technological advancements such as the remodeled sewing machine but most importantly it changed the way workers wanted to be treated and payed. But during this time, organized labor was unsuccessful in improving the working conditions of laborers due to the abundance of violent attacks and the inability to overcome different backgrounds.

Classism in the United States began as soon as it was conceptualized. Slavery was the first glaring example of classism. Obviously based along racial lines, Africans and African Americans were enslaved with essentially no hope of achieving a higher economic status. With exception of slavery of the time, “on the eve of the American revolution incomes in the 13 colonies that formed the United States were more equal than in virtually any other place on the planet” (“As You Were”). As time went on, the industrial revolution took place, and created large gaps between workers and their superiors (“As You Were”). The trusts that helped the wealthy, become richer were eventually made illegal through president Theodore Roosevelt's trust busting (“As

After many countries in Latin America received their independence, limited change of conditions occurred and the elite maintained control in the new republics. The basis for economic inequality remained the same and the patterns persisted. In the early 19th century, the majority of countries had developed republican democracies yet the upper class still had the power to act in their own interests. A direct bearing established the extent of the elite’s ability to influence the formation of government policies. Landowners opposed any institutional change that could transfer power