Pew: Many Americans believe government has overlooked the middle class

A new survey by the Pew Research Center indicates that 62% of Americans believe the middle class is being ignored by both political parties even in the midst of presidential campaigns in which the candidates promise to fight for the middle class.

Results of the survey, conducted between Dec. 8-13, also shows that just 32% say the Democratic Party favors the middle class because they are more apt to favor the poor. Likewise, the Republican Party is believed to favor the rich while the middle class and poor are often overlooked.

A clear majority of Americans (62%) say the federal government does not do enough to help the middle class, but the middle class is hardly alone on this list. Majorities also say the government doesn’t do enough for older people, poor people or children. Wealthy people are the one group included in the survey for which the 61% said the government does too much. However, 24% said the government does about the right amount for the wealthy and 9% say it does not do enough.

Pew said the battle to win the middle class vote is important because there are as many adults in the middle-income households as in lower- or upper-income households combined. In early 2015 Pew reported there were 120.8 million adults in middle-income households, while lower- and upper-income households numbered 121.3 million.

Middle class is defined as those households where income is two-thirds to double the national median, about $42,000 to $126,000 annually in 2014 dollars for a household of three. Pew provides a calculator for individuals online.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/12/09/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/

The Pew study found that many attitudes of self-described middle-class adults reflect those of the country as a whole. They have similar assessments of the way President Barack Obama is handling his job as president, they are largely dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today, and they echo the public’s concerns about terrorism and national security.

Looking at the economy, the views of middle-class adults conclude that economic conditions are only fair at best, while many describe them as poor. About three-quarters of those who identify as middle class say defending the country from future terrorist attacks (76%) and strengthening the economy (73%) should be top priorities for Obama and Congress in 2016 – the same top two priorities identified by the general public.

Following are the top five 2016 priorities noted by those in the survey: economy, 75%; terrorism, 75%; education, 66%, jobs, 64%; and health care costs, 61%. Areas below 50% on the survey priority list included criminal justice reform (45%), climate change (38%), and gun policy (37%). Immigration, one of the more hotly contested issues in the presidential race, captured 51% on the priority list.

A separate survey released Monday (Feb. 8) that looked at consumer expectations indicates that consumers are taking a slightly more negative economic view overall, which could be problematic for the political party in power should the economy began to stall as the year progresses. The January 2016 survey from the New York Federal Reserve Bank indicates that median inflation expectations moved lower and this represents uncertainty by respondents regarding future inflation outcomes.

The survey also found that consumers were fairly confident with the growth in median home prices and those expectations. They are also feeling more confident that lower gasoline prices will be the norm for this year. But they expect higher food prices and they still view medical and higher education costs more expensive than necessary. The Fed survey respondents also indicate the labor market growth is slowing and their expectations for higher median income growth also declined slightly year-over-year.