Class Growth

The ranks of the lower class have expanded:

In the course of Obama’s presidency, people saying they are in the “lower classes” have risen from one-quarter to one-third of the adult population.

According to the Pew Research Center, Americans who say they are in the lower-middle or lower-class has risen from 25 percent to 32 percent in the past four years, in the national survey of 2,508 adults.

Not only has the lower class grown, but its demographic profile also has shifted. People younger than 30 are disproportionately swelling the ranks of the self-defined lower classes. The shares of Hispanics and whites who place themselves in the lower class also are growing.

Seems like the number of those who could "pay their fair share" is getting awfully low...