“My dad was a member of the Greatest Generation that achieved victory in World War II. This was the generation that saved the world from fascism, came home and built the great American middle class, led the way in the civil rights movement, protected our environment, and created great programs like Medicare.” WorldWayWarHomeClassEnvironmentRightsGenerationsMiddleMovementVictoryDadMembersBuiltProgramMy DadSavedCivil RightsWar Of The WorldsMiddle ClassFascismWorld War IiWorld War IProtectedOur EnvironmentCivil Rights MovementMedicareGreat AmericanGreatest Generation Author:John F. Kerry
“If we have more people on the receiving end of government - more people as the middle class becomes sucked in more and more to these entitlement programs, for example - then we're going to be in a place where it's going to be hard to go back. It's going to be hard to go back again. It's going to be hard to take away stuff. It's not impossible.” PeopleIfsEndsHardGovernmentStuffClassImpossibleMiddleExampleProgramMiddle ClassReceivingEntitlementBack AgainEntitlement Programs Author:Fred Thompson
“If we wanted a program to help the majority of the population, we'd offer loan guarantees to help poor people get access to reliable cars so that they could have a better shot at getting - and keeping - a well-paying job...A small amount of capital could make a much bigger difference in their lives than extra student loan relief for middle-class college kids would.” PeopleIfsWellsHelpingRealityKidsWantedJobsPoliticsCommunityDifferencesWorkPoorMoneyEducationClassPovertyMiddleCarPolicyStudentsCollegeAmountOffersShotsProgramBiggerMajorityStrategyPropertyPopulationAccessExtrasGuaranteesReliefMiddle ClassPoor PeopleLoanSmall AmountsHelp The PoorStudent LoanHelp Poor People Author:Megan McArdle
“Astonishingly, American taxpayers now will be forced to finance a multi-billion dollar jobs program in Iraq. Suddenly the war is about jobs. We export our manufacturing jobs to Asia, and now we plan to export our welfare jobs to Iraq, all at the expense of the poor and the middle class here at home.” WarHomeJobsPoorClassPlansMiddleProgramDollarsIraqBillionsFinanceWelfareMiddle ClassExpensesAsiaTaxpayersManufacturing Author:Ron Paul
“The American middle class, it seems to me, is looking to politicians now to satisfy a pretty basic - and urgent - level of need. Yet people in the upper middle class - with their excellent health benefits, schools, salaries, retirement plans, nannies and private afterschool programs - have journeyed so far from that level of need that, it often seems to me, they literally cannot hear what resonates with the middle class. That creates a problematic blind spot for those who write, edit or produce what comes to be known about our politicians and their policies.” PeopleNeedsWritingSeemsSchoolLevelsKnownClassPlansMiddlePolicyProducePoliticianBenefitsProgramBlindSpotsExcellentMiddle ClassRetirementUrgentSalaryEditsNanniesBlind SpotsHealth BenefitsUpper Middle Class Author:Judith Warner
“New York rushed to get students into early childhood programs, but the research is clear that it has to be high quality. What we are giving poor kids now in early childhood is nothing like what we are giving middle-class kids in most places.” GivingKidsPoorQualityClassClearChildhoodMiddleNew YorkStudentsResearchProgramMiddle ClassHigh QualityEarly Childhood Author:Pedro Noguera
“Middle-class kids get to play, develop their thinking ability. Poor kids are much more likely to get regimentation under the guise of socialization. On top of it, we have huge segregation in early childhood programs. I don't see these patterns changing anytime soon, and that's a big obstacle.” ThinkingPlayBigsKidsAbilityPoorClassChildhoodMiddleHugeProgramPatternsObstaclesMiddle ClassSegregationGuiseEarly ChildhoodSocializationRegimentation Author:Pedro Noguera
“So you've got these regular, middle-class voters who don't hate the government as much as the Kochs do. They're Republicans, but they still want government programs. They want Social Security, they want Medicare. They need it.” WantNeedsStillsGovernmentHateSocialClassMiddleSecurityRepublicanProgramMiddle ClassVotersWant MeSocial SecurityMedicareDon't HateGovernment Programs Author:Jane Mayer
“If the question is, how do we best produce business people who can succeed in the post-Great Recession era, then I think the MBA programs and their connection to large companies remains intact but it's not the path to a "Business Brilliant" life. It's a path to a middle-class existence marked by large stretches of security and comfort with occasional eruptions that you're probably ill-prepared to handle. Do I sound too cynical?” PeopleIfsThinkingSoundExistenceCompanyClassPathMiddleSecurityProduceComfortSucceedProgramConnectionsRemainsPreparedIllBrilliantHandleErasPostsMiddle ClassCynicalOccasionalRecessionsEruptionMbaLarge CompaniesGreat RecessionMba Programs Author:Lewis Schiff
“My plan is based on growing the economy, giving middle-class families many more opportunities. I want us to have the biggest jobs program since World War II, jobs in infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.” WorldWantGivingWarJobsOpportunityClassEconomyGrowingPlansMiddleProgramWar Of The WorldsMiddle ClassWorld War IiWorld War IInfrastructureWant UManufacturingFamily ManMiddle Class Family Author:Hillary Clinton
“The neoliberal programs of the last generation have in fact been, and were intended to be, a pretty serious attack on democracy, but also they've led to stagnation or decline for large parts of the population - the working class, the lower middle class, these people have essentially been cast aside.” PeopleFactsLastsClassDemocracyGenerationsMiddleSeriousProgramCastsPopulationMiddle ClassDeclineWorking ClassStagnation Author:Noam Chomsky
“This is where I think policies do need to be somewhat race-specific, is making sure that institutions are not discriminatory. So you've got something like the FHA [Federal Housing Administration], which was on its face a universal program that involved a huge mechanism for wealth accumulation and people entering into the middle class.” PeopleThinkingNeedsFacesWealthRaceClassMiddlePolicyHugeInvolvedProgramUniversalInstitutionsAdministrationMiddle ClassMechanismEnteringHousingAccumulation Author:Barack Obama
“It is my view that if society was doing the right thing with respect to you, [and there were] programs targeted at helping people rise into the middle class and have a good income and be able to save and send their kids to school, and you've got a vigorous enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, then I have confidence in the black community's capabilities to then move forward.” PeopleIfsHelpingKidsAbleSchoolMovingLawBlackCommunityViewsClassMiddleProgramIncomeDiscriminationMoving ForwardRight ThingMiddle ClassCapabilityEnforcementHelping PeopleVigorousDoing The Right ThingHave ConfidenceBlack CommunityAnti Discrimination Author:Barack Obama
“Free enterprise has done more to lift people out of poverty, to help build a strong middle class, to help educate our kids, and to make our lives better than all the programs of government combined.” PeopleDoneHelpingGovernmentKidsStrongClassPovertyOur LivesMiddleProgramLiftsEnterpriseMiddle ClassEducateFree Enterprise Author:Mitt Romney
“The union movement has been the best middle class job creating program that America has ever had, and it doesn't cost the government a dime.” Has BeensGovernmentJobsAmericaClassMiddleMovementCostCreatingProgramUnionsMiddle ClassDimes Author:Andy Stern