Reframing the narrative of the middle class: Real voices pre- and post-pandemic

The story of the middle class has long been a political tagline in the United States. But in order to fully understand how they are doing, the voices of middle-class Americans must be heard. Through the American Middle Class Hopes and Anxieties Study (AMCHAS), the Future of the Middle Class Initiative at Brookings has spoken with Americans around the country both before and during the COVID-19 crisis. Their stories are told in a report, “‘What if Something Happens?’: A Qualitative Study of the Hopes and Anxieties of the American Middle Class Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic” and have been used to shape policy solutions in “A New Contract with the Middle Class.”

On November 17, the Future of the Middle Class Initiative discussed the early results of their research and the implications for middle-class well-being. Jennifer Silva of Indiana University, lead ethnographer for the project, discussed the work on a panel alongside Brookings scholars Isabel Sawhill, Camille Busette, Molly Kinder, and moderator Richard Reeves.

Request a free hard copy of “A New Contract with the Middle Class.”

See an executive summary and download the AMCHAS report “What if Something Happens?” here.

Viewers submitted questions by emailing [email protected] or via Twitter by using the hashtag #MiddleClassVoices.