ABSTRACT
The United States is a country of great diversity, ethnic, racial, religious, language, yet in the area of socio-economic class, Americans often describe themselves as being in the middle. This chapter describes the current economic and financial condition of the American middle class and the impact those changes have had on their political behavior and outlook for the future. It discusses how the two most recent major candidates for the presidency, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, responded to the changing character of middle-class life through their statements and policy proposals. The chapter evaluates the short-term and long-term influences of the middle-class crisis on American democracy and the American dream of prosperity and financial security. The Census Bureau found that income inequality increased by 5.5" since 1993, which translated into only marginal gains in the overall financial condition of most Americans.
