(Kitco News) – About fifty percent of the American population is feeling ignored – this according to a study which found that the country’s middle-class is feeling neglected by both Republicans and Democrats.
Based on data from Pew Research, a Washington-based research firm, Americans aren’t really happy with how both political parties are – and have been – treating the middle class.
Released Thursday, the survey found that 62% of Americans say the Federal government does not do enough for the middle-class. From December 8-13, a total of 1,500 adults were surveyed, of which 29% said the government does “the right amount” for middle class citizens. The remaining 6% said “it does too much.”
Data released by Pew in December showed that about 120.8 million American adults, or about 50%, live in middle-income households as of early 2015. Meanwhile, 29% and 21% live in lower- and upper-income households, respectively. However, Pew data also showed that the share of middle class citizens has fallen from 61% in 1971.
“And as voters begin casting the first ballots in the 2016 presidential election, neither political party is widely viewed as supportive of the middle class in this country,” Pew said Thursday, adding that this sentiment has changed little since 2011.
Republican vs. Democrats: Who Cares More?
Based on the results, neither one.
“Just 32% of the public says the Democratic Party favors the middle class. Similar shares say the party favors either the poor (31%) or the rich (26%),” the firm said.
Views on the Republican Party are “less balanced,” Pew noted.
“A majority of the public (62%) says that the GOP favors the rich, while 26% say it favors the middle class. Just 2% say the Republican Party favors the poor.”
For Pew, the middle class American households earn between two-thirds to two times the country’s median income. In 2014, that ranged from $41, 869 to $125,608.
The survey also found that when it comes to issues, the middle class cares most about the country’s defense and the economy.
By Sarah Benali of Kitco News; sbenali@kitco.com
Follow me on Twitter @SdBenali