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There’s been some talk these days about different social classes. Most people say they belong either to the middle class or the working class. Do you ever think of yourself as belonging in one of these classes? Which one? / Well, if you had to make a choice, would you call yourself middle class or working class?
Thinks of self as member of a social class · Asked in 24 waves, 1956–2016 · 50,243 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Codes that include 'no Pre/Post IW' were dropped for respondents without that interview. Dropped only in years where the codebook names a design split (alternate form, half sample, abbreviated or web instrument): 9 in 1992. Kept and flagged: 9 (other_missing). Codebook notes: 1958 NOTE: If R did not know whether R thought of self as a member of the working or middle class, then R was not probed with ‘If you had to make a choice…’; only Rs who answered ‘no’ were probed (in all other years, Rs answering DK to the lead-in were also probed with the If you had to make a choice…’ question). 2016 NOTE: In 2016, a half sample of respondents were asked these questions in the pre-election wave and the remaining half sample were asked in the post.
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANES 2016 Time Series Study Source variable: V161304,V161305a,V161305b,V161306,V162128,V162129,V162130,V162131. | 2016-09-07 to 2017-01-09 | mixed | 4,270 | 4,270 |
| ANES 2012 Time Series Study Source variable: dem_class,dem_whichclass,dem_chclass. | 2012-09-09 to 2013-01-13 | mixed | 5,914 | 5,914 |
| ANES 2008 Time Series Study Source variable: V083250,V083250a,V083250b,V083250c. | 2008-09-02 to 2008-12-30 | face to face | 2,322 | 2,322 |
| ANES 2004 Time Series Study Source variable: V043295,V043296,V043297. | 2004-09-07 to 2004-12-19 | face to face | 1,212 | 1,212 |
| ANES 2000 Time Series Study Source variable: V000999,V001000. | 2000-09-05 to 2000-12-22 | mixed | 1,807 | 1,807 |
| ANES 1994 Time Series Study Source variable: V941406,V941407. | 1994-11-09 to 1995-01-08 | mixed | 1,795 | 1,795 |
| ANES 1992 Time Series Study Source variable: V924111,V924112. | 1992-09-02 to 1993-01-16 | mixed |
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| Group | Yes, think of self as member of class and that class is middle class | No, don’t think of self as member of class, but if had to choose middle or working, would choose middle | Yes, think of self as member of class and that class is working class | No, don’t think of self as member of class, but if had to choose middle or working, would choose working | Refuses to accept idea of class (except 1964, 1966, 1968) | Other (in 1964,1966, 1968 also includes ‘refuses to accept idea of class.’) | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 41% | 10% | 33% | 15% | – | 2% | 4270 | ±2 | |
| Lower income | 24% | 12% | 37% | 25% | – | 2% | 1346 | ±3 | |
| Middle income | 34% | 7% | 44% | 13% | – | 2% | 1261 | ±3 | |
| Upper income | 59% | 11% | 21% | 8% | – | 2% | 1550 | ±3 |
ANES 2016 Time Series Study · US citizens 18+ (face-to-face samples: contiguous 48 states and DC; web samples: 50 states and DC). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| 2,485 |
| 2,304 |
| ANES 1990 Time Series Study Source variable: V900665,V900666. | 1990-11-06 to 1991-01-21 | face to face | 1,980 | 1,980 |
| ANES 1988 Time Series Study Source variable: V880525. | 1988-09-06 to 1989-01-23 | face to face | 2,040 | 2,040 |
| ANES 1986 Time Series Study Source variable: V860736. | 1986-11-05 to 1987-02-07 | face to face | 2,176 | 2,176 |
| ANES 1984 Time Series Study Source variable: V840683. | 1984-09-04 to 1985-01-24 | mixed | 2,257 | 2,257 |
| ANES 1982 Time Series Study Source variable: V820730. | 1982-11-02 to 1983-01-31 | face to face | 1,418 | 1,418 |
| ANES 1980 Time Series Study Source variable: V800689. | 1980-09-02 to 1981-02-07 | face to face | 1,614 | 1,614 |
| ANES 1978 Time Series Study Source variable: V780601. | 1978-11-08 to 1979-01-25 | face to face | 2,304 | 2,304 |
| ANES 1976 Time Series Study Source variable: V763484. | 1976-09-07 to 1977-01-30 | face to face | 2,248 | 2,248 |
| ANES 1974 Time Series Study Source variable: V742523. | 1974-11-06 to 1975-01-31 | face to face | 1,575 | 1,575 |
| ANES 1972 Time Series Study Source variable: V720402. | 1972-09-01 to 1973-02-13 | face to face | 2,705 | 2,705 |
| ANES 1970 Time Series Study Source variable: V700356(type 0). | 1970-11-04 to 1971-01-13 | face to face | 1,507 | 1,507 |
| ANES 1968 Time Series Study Source variable: V680209. | 1968-09-06 to 1969-01-28 | face to face | 1,557 | 1,557 |
| ANES 1966 Time Series Study Source variable: V660219. | 1966-11-08 to 1967-02-01 | face to face | 1,291 | 1,291 |
| ANES 1964 Time Series Study Source variable: V640231. | 1964-09-07 to 1965-02-01 | face to face | 1,571 | 1,571 |
| ANES 1960 Time Series Study Source variable: V600155. | 1960-09-12 to 1960-12-26 | face to face | 1,181 | 1,164 |
| ANES 1958 Time Series Study Source variable: V580219. | 1958-11-05 to 1958-12-25 | face to face | 1,450 | 1,450 |
| ANES 1956 Time Series Study Source variable: V560224. | 1956-09-17 to 1957-01-19 | face to face | 1,762 | 1,762 |