Week 12: America's Shrinking Middle Class

For decades, a majority of Americans were considered middle income. But in the last few years, the incredibly rich and the extremely poor became the majority -- surpassing their middle-class peers. 

Economists broadly define the middle class as an income between $42,000 to $125,000 for a family of 3. But the financial pressures on families in this range are mounting – from day care to health care to higher education.

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On this episode of Indivisible, MPR News host Kerri Miller asks how a shrinking middle class will change our social structure and our identity as Americans.

Kerri speaks with Vanderbilt Law School's Ganesh Sitaraman and Michigan State University Economics Professor Lisa Cook about the history and the future of the American middle class.

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Indivisible Week 12: America's Shrinking Middle Class

Host Kerri Miller considers how a shrinking middle class changes our social structure -- and our identity as Americans.

This program is produced in partnership with WNYC Studios, Minnesota Public Radio News, and The Economist. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and come back Mondays through Thursdays for new episodes.

WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Radiolab, Freakonomics Radio, 2 Dope Queens, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.

The hosts include WNYC's Brian Lehrer, Minnesota Public Radio's Kerri Miller, WNYC's Kai Wright, John Prideaux and Anne McElvoy of The Economist and longtime conservative radio host Charlie Sykes.