How many economic classes are there in the United States?

[begin_within]

[BlueEyedSon]

1. 2. The ruling elite. The rest.

[TalkingDog]

2. Three levels divided into 3 groups...

At least that's how I learned it.


Lower lower class
Middle lower class
Upper lower class

Lower middle class
Middle middle class
Upper middle class

Lower upper class
Middle upper class
Upper upper class

[Telly Savalas]

8. A lot of sociologists/demographers use that model...

but it's pretty arbitrary.

[Poppyseedman]

3. Those that pay taxes and those that don't

[Starbucks Anarchist]

4. Two. Us and Them.

[lcordero2]

5. two. thieves and victims

[valerief]

6. I count five, but I don't limit them to the US

The people who own everything (who own all the big corporations)

The people who work directly for the people who own everything (national leaders like prez and congress, pope and other religious leaders, etc.)

The independently wealthy who are not the top 2 classes; these people have enough money many times over to last for the rest of their lives

People who sleep with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies and who aren't the top 3 classes

People who have no protection from the elements and no food (think Darfur or New Orleans)

[dhinojosa]

10. I fit in neither of those.

Self-employed who makes a decent dough but wishes he could get more, but it is hard to do because this is not a Clinton economy.

[valerief]

12. You're the 4th class

People who sleep with a roof over their heads and food in their bellies and who aren't the top 3 classes

[dhinojosa]

13. Ah, sorry, I had read that wrong...

never mind...continue.

[valerief]

16. S'awright. I just made up the classes anyway.

[eallen]

7. Most people don't think about this realistically.

They don't consider the fact that a 20 year-old who has no assets is very different from a 65 year-old who has a million-dollar net worth, which might be nothing more than a house that is paid for, a vested pension, and a moderate amount of savings. Human lifecycle has to be considered, if someone wants to think clearly about economic classes. I can imagine groupings like (a) the independent but not rich aged, who have enough to live for the rest of their lives, barring major catastrophe, but not much in excess of that, (b) middle-aged workers who are likely to move into (a), (c) young adults, about whom there's no way to tell yet because of their youth, regardless of what they are now doing, including living on the street, (d) children, (e) adult dependents of various categories, (f) the rich, (g) the middle-aged and aged poor who are incapable of working. That's not exhaustive or adequately fine. But it's far more realistic than viewing a 65 year-old as "rich" and a 20 year-old as "poor," even when the latter clearly has more advantaged background and better life prospects than the former, simply on the basis of current net worth.

[Robertwf]

9. The plan is to only

have two classes--upper and those born to serve them. This is why the Carlyle people are doing everything in their power to aggrandize the wealth of those who already have it and destroy mechanisms for maintaining the middle class. They view education in all forms as unnecessary past the rudimentary skills. After all, when you have pressed the only job growth into the service categories, there is really no need for people who are trained to think for themselves.
Why, for example, in Washington state do the Micr*s*ft people "bemoan" the fact that we don't have adequate computer engineer types so that they must be brought in from other countries or work outsourced to those countries instead of investing in educational facilities to create the techies they could use. Why, for example, in areas like Detroit which has had great automotive design programs aren't the computer companies developing technical institutes to create computer literate populations from which to draw.
Why are the conservatives promoting teaching intelligent design in the schools rather than scientific method?
They want us to have generations who can do little more than flip burgers while the upper classes protect their outsourced wealth machines.

[abandoned]

17. Answers

Why, for example, in Washington state do the Micr*s*ft people "bemoan" the fact that we don't have adequate computer engineer types so that they must be brought in from other countries or work outsourced to those countries instead of investing in educational facilities to create the techies they could use.

The reason they "bemoan" a lack of adequate computer engineer types is because there is a lack of adequate computer engineer types. In the 90's computer/software engineering was the gold rush field, everyone wanted to get in line for the "Stock Option" lottery. So the computer field in the US is still polluted with many that were hoping it was a get rich quick proposition. Since the "Dot Com Bust" jobs are few and far between and the openings are normally put out of reach of new grads with the ridiculous requirements for a position, this drives out kids looking to go into this field. So companies look overseas.

Why ... aren't the computer companies developing technical institutes to create computer literate populations from which to draw.

Because it is cheaper to bring in someone from India today than it is to invest in a framework that might payoff in 4-5 years. (Of course it will probably be more expensive in the long run, but it is cheaper today.)

Why are the conservatives promoting teaching intelligent design in the schools rather than scientific method?

Sorry can't even take a swipe at this one. Maybe if I get a few more beers in me.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi abandoned!!

Welcome to DU!!

[bicentennial_baby]

11. 3

the have a lots, the have a littles, and the ain't got jack shit's

seriously though, it's more like the ruling class, and everyone else, sigh.

[Ksec]

14. Used to be at least three

Elite richest, Middle Class and the poor.

With the Middle Class shrinking and the wealth concentrating in fewer and fewer hands its becoming two. The haves and the have nots.

Thats monetarily Im talking about.

Not the richness of your life, family etc. You cant measure that in money.

[rocktivity]

15. Seven, according to an article I read nearly two decades ago

and still holds up as far as I'm concerned. From bottom to top:

Non-working poor
Working poor
Lower Class
Lower Middle Class
Middle Class
Upper Middle Class
Upper Class


rocknation

[Jose Diablo]

19. There is a lot of colleges here

I'd say each college has at least 1 economic class. I don't remember economics in high school, but maybe now its taught in high school also.