Middle-Class Economics
States with Stronger Unions Have Stronger Middle Classes
Strengthening organized labor is one of the most important steps to help rebuild our middle class.
Unions Are Necessary to Rebuilding Our Middle Class
By advancing the interests of the middle class in the workplace and in our democracy, unions help build and strengthen the middle class.
Ties that Bind
Issue Brief
David Madland and Nick Bunker explain why rebuilding the American middle class is an important step toward rebuilding America’s infrastructure.
Dormant Union Membership Is a Bad Sign for the Middle Class
David Madland and Nick Bunker explain why building a middle class for the 21st century will be difficult until union membership starts to increase.
Unions Make Democracy Work for the Middle Class
Issue Brief
David Madland and Nick Bunker show how organized labor increases political participation and fights for policies that help union and nonunion Americans alike.
Middle-Class Societies Invest More in Public Education
Report
David Madland and Nick Bunker argue that strengthening our middle class will be good for our educational system and for our economy.
The Middle Class Is Key to a Better-Educated Nation
Report
Examining test scores in all 50 states, David Madland and Nick Bunker find that a stronger American middle class is associated with higher levels of academic achievement.
Rep. Payne’s Resolution Recognizes that Unions Build the Middle Class
A new resolution, citing research from the American Worker Project, highlights how unions benefit the 99 percent of Americans that need to work for a living, write Karla Walter and David Madland.
As Unions Weaken So Does the Middle Class
David Madland and Nick Bunker parse the latest figures to show states with weak unions also share another trait—a weak middle class.
Interactive: Unions Build a Stronger Middle Class
Interactive
Interactive from Nick Bunker, David Madland, and Karla Walter shows how unionization leads to more income for middle-class families.
Infographic: Six Ways Unions Build a Strong Middle Class
An illustration of how unions give workers more power in the economy and the political process.
New Census Data Show Middle Class Continues to Struggle
Income for middle-class Americans continues to shrink, write David Madland, Karla Walter, and Nick Bunker. Increasing union membership can help them secure more of the economy’s gains.
Unions Make the Middle Class
Report
Report from David Madland, Karla Walter, and Nick Bunker shows how stronger unions create a stronger middle class.