The upper middle class in the United States is gradually separating from other social classes。This separation is especially obvious in income，The top fifth is booming，Most are getting lagging。But the separation is not limited to economics，Also includes family structure、Education、Various aspects such as lifestyle and geography，The closer the combination, the more obvious the advantages will be。

In the latest social mobility memo，We examine the state of America’s upper middle class: its makeup、Degree of separation from the public、Continuation across time and generations。Some sensitive people may not agree with this division，But，The first priority of the investigation is to understand what happened。

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For most people，The most attractive class dividing line is the top and everyone else。The richest 1% have really left 99% behind，But，The richest 1% is a small group after all；And it is unreasonable to think that the bottom 5% or 1% of individuals or families belong to the mainstream of America。More than 1/3 of the demonstrators in the 2011 May Day march 188bet app download had an annual income of more than $100,000。

On the other hand，The most important dividing line on the other side is the poverty line。The poor have not fallen far behind the middle class in recent decades，Of course I didn’t catch up。What we should be most concerned about is the gap between those families who struggle to put food on the table and those who have enough income。

There are two points worth noting，First policy analysts and policymakers must understand what their primary concerns are。If reducing poverty is the primary goal，Then efforts should be made to narrow the gap between the poor and the rich。Secondly we should pay attention to the role of biography。Most journalists、Academics and political scientists belong to the upper middle class，This will inevitably affect their attitude towards inequality。

Definition of upper middle class

Class is a difficult concept to grasp，Especially in a society that doesn’t consider itself classless，Or everyone in society thinks they belong to the middle class。2014，85% of American adults consider themselves “middle class”；This index has not changed since 1939，The Gallup survey at that time showed that the proportion was 88%。

Almost all Americans are middle class，Then the most important division needs to be made within this class。Only a small group of people are willing to be classified as "upper class"，1% or 2%。But，A few use the description "upper middle class": 13% of respondents，A decrease from 19% in 2008。

Income is clearly divided，And easier to track and compare:

• Upper middle class, top 20% by household income
  

• Middle middle class, middle 40%
  

• Lower half, bottom 40%

The older you are, the higher your income will be，Therefore the 188bet app download age limit of the survey is between 35 and 40 years old。

Upper middle class income

There is much debate about the extent of inequality，But no one would question the last few decades，Compared to other classes，The income of the upper middle class has increased a lot，Its income accounts for half of the total。

Upper middle class households have grown significantly in recent decades:

The gap between the upper and middle classes is also growing.

Upper middle class and education

The upper middle class is driving the economy，But money is not everything about class。Education is also an important component。Higher Education and Professional Prestige、Autonomy is closely related to job quality。

Considering the correlation between education and income，It is not surprising that adults from upper middle class families receive higher levels of education。1/4 of the heads of households are graduate students or have professional qualifications，1/3 have four-year degrees，Mostly college educated:

In recent decades，The labor market return to education has increased。The relationship between education and family income is getting closer，The income and education of upper-middle-class families are increasingly closely linked。We investigated three dimensions of upper-middle class education: years of education、Education level、Top 1/5 of education distribution。

Obviously the higher the education level, the higher the chance of obtaining a higher family income。

Family, marriage and social class

American society is not only divided by income and education，Also divided by family fault lines。Around Wealth、There is much discussion about the differences in marriage between educated 188bet online sports betting Americans and other Americans。The upper middle class is twice as likely to get married as the rest of the population。Of course，Marriage can increase family income。Among the top 40% of Americans (aged 35 to 40), the proportion of unmarried people (37%) is higher than the proportion of married people (33%)。And among the upper middle class，Most heads of households are married (83%)，Only 11% have never been married:

The relationship between upper middle class status and family structure seems to have received little attention by themselves。Whether people choose to get married is a personal choice，But family structure and family stability are closely related，Will bring a different life to the next generation。The upper middle class can form a plan、A stable and responsible family，Their children will also benefit from it。

Votes and Attitudes

The influence of wealthy people on American politics is widely concerned，Trumps 、 Kochs and Buffetts have the financial resources to support the presidential election，The upper middle class also has a strong influence on politics。They voted、Organization、Lobbying、Complaint: Their voices are influential。Survey shows these high-income earners are more willing to vote。2012，3/4 heads of high-income households participated in the vote，And only half of the lower-class families:

The upper middle class is more willing to believe in the American Dream，They work hard、Proactive and enterprising，Partly because they believe the American Dream applies to them:

Upper middle class social status is both a source and a consequence of higher self-confidence，Enable them to cope with the complex world。Survey data shows that different income groups have very different attitudes toward social change:

In fact，188bet online sports betting Mid-1970s to late 20th century，Members of the upper middle class feel more relaxed about social change。

Conclusion

Writer、Scholar Reihan Salam has some pessimistic views on the upper middle class，“Although most of the upper middle class people I know are decent people，But I have come to the conclusion that the American upper middle class threatens to destroy all that is good。” Salam points to successful opposition to Obama’s plan to eliminate 529 college savings incentives，Because this preferential policy brings benefits to the upper and middle classes。But political change is screwed，This shows that the upper middle class knows how to take care of themselves，Increase redistribution value、Relaxation of licensing laws、Liberating the housing market、Reform School Enrollment，These are all self-serving behaviors of the upper middle class。

In the long run，The existence of the upper middle class will also bring greater threats，Survey shows low mobility among classes in the U.S.，Especially the upper class。When social status becomes inheritance，Inequality will be solidified，The open society begins to become closed，Friction between classes will become more and more serious。