ABSTRACT
Class conflict in American society is an ongoing turmoil that invades numerous facets of social existence. Differences in class have affected the standard of living and life chances across the breadth of American history. A good deal of the current attention focused on the wealth/income imbalance was initiated in 2001 and 2003 as a result of tax cuts given to wealthy Americans by the Bush Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. Consequently, the tax and inequality issues have become central disputes between Democrats and Republicans and their presidential candidates. President Obama has argued that the tax cuts for the wealthiest American should be allowed to expire while retaining tax cuts for middle- and working-class Americans. Coincidental to the 2012 presidential campaign has been the appearance of the Occupy Wall Street Movement in the early fall of 2011. Also coincidental to the current presidential campaign are major labor disputes in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and elsewhere.
