The American middle class used to move at a slower pace — kids pedaling through the neighborhood until sunset, leisurely lunches, and clothes swaying on backyard lines. But the heartbeat of ...

The 1970s were no freewheeling economic joyride for the American middle class, yet most families managed with what they had.

What the middle class considers ordinary for their lifestyle can be vastly different from people living with lesser means. It's basically a discrepancy between what is deemed a necessity versus a ...