Who Are the "Middle Class"?

Publication Date: March 2007

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Economics

Type:

Abstract:

Much of the legislation considered by Congress is in the name of the so-called "middle class." But there is no consensus definition of middle class. Neither is there an official government definition, and it is not the aim of this report to establish one. What constitutes the middle class is relative, subjective, and not easily defined. Most people likely have decided views as to whether they are middle class. At the same time, those who refer to the middle class have a rough idea whom they have in mind. How closely these two definitions correspond is another matter. In some contexts, the term middle class may refer to a group with shared values or views, but much of the time it is intended to refer to those who fall within a particular range of incomes. For example, a tax cut proposal may be promoted on the grounds that it would benefit the middle class. Where the distinction is based solely on income, the term "middle income" is sometimes used. This report will use the terms middle class and middle income interchangeably. This paper attempts to put the term middle class, or middle income, in some perspective.