The Palin’s income for 2007 was revealed to us as being $166,080. During the Vice-Presidential debate this past week, she referred to her and her husband as being ‘middle class’. “$166K middle class”, I asked myself, about to embark on how disconnected all politicians appear to be. Then I asked myself the next logical question, “Where does middle class end and upper class begin?” An entry in Wikipedia offers us that “The American upper class is estimated to constitute less than 1% of the population, while the remaining 99% of the population is ‘Steerage/Under class.’ ” To join the top 1% of households from an income perspective would take about $350K/yr. So by this definition, the Palins are indeed middle class. She does get credit for knowing the precise number of houses she owns.
Joe
Why is a discussion of “class” always centered around annual income? I’d think it would be a more valid (and surprising illuminating) if net worth was factored in.