Editing Upper class (section)

==United States==
{{Main|American upper class|African-American upper class}}
[[File:Age of Innocence (1st ed dust jacket).jpg|thumb|First edition dust cover of [[Edith Wharton]]'s 1920 [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning novel ''[[The Age of Innocence]]'', a story set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s]]
The American upper class is a [[social group]] within the [[United States]] consisting of people who have the highest [[socioeconomic status|social rank]] primarily due to economic [[wealth]].<ref name="The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States">{{cite book |last=Beeghley|first=Leonard |year=2004 |title=The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States |publisher=Allyn and Bacon |location=Boston, MA |isbn=0-205-37558-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/upper-class |title=Upper class}}</ref>  The American upper class is estimated to constitute less than 1% of the population. By self-identification, according to this 2001–2012 Gallup Poll data, 98% of Americans identify with the five other class terms used, 48–50% identifying as "middle class".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/159029/americans-likely-say-belong-middle-class.aspx | title=Americans Most Likely to Say They Belong to the Middle Class | date=30 November 2012 | first=Andrew | last=Dugan | author-link=Andrew Dugan | publisher=Gallup | access-date=10 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311124400/http://www.gallup.com/poll/159029/americans-likely-say-belong-middle-class.aspx | archive-date=11 March 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref>

The main distinguishing feature of the upper class is its ability to derive enormous [[Income in the United States|incomes]] from [[Wealth in the United States|wealth]] through techniques such as money management and investing, rather than engaging in wage-labor salaried employment, although most upper-class individuals today will still hold some sort of employment, which differs from historical norms.<ref name="The American Class Structure">{{cite book | last = Gilbert | first = Dennis | year = 1998 | title = The American Class Structure | publisher = Wadsworth Publishing | location = New York | isbn = 0-534-50520-1 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/americanclassstr0000gilb_c7f2 }}</ref><ref name="Society in Focus">{{cite book | last1 = Thompson | first1 = William | author-link= William Thompson (sociologist) | first2 = Joseph | last2 = Hickey | year = 2005 | title = Society in Focus | publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, Mass. | isbn = 0-205-41365-X}}</ref><ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships">{{cite book | last1 = Williams | first1 = Brian | author-link=Brian Williams | first2 = Stacey C. | last2 = Sawyer | author-link2= Stacey C. Sawyer | first3 = Carl M. | last3 = Wahlstrom | author-link3= Carl M. Wahlstrom | year = 2005 | title = Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships | publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, Mass. | isbn = 0-205-36674-0}}</ref> Successful [[entrepreneur]]s, [[CEO]]s, [[investment banker]]s, [[venture capitalist]]s, heir to fortunes, celebrities, and a few number of [[professional]]s, are considered members of this class by contemporary sociologists, such as [[James Henslin]] or [[Dennis Gilbert (sociologist)|Dennis Gilbert]].<ref name="The American Class Structure"/> There may be prestige differences between different upper-class households. An [[A-list]] actor, for example, might not be accorded as much prestige as a former [[President of the United States|U.S. President]],<ref name="Society in Focus"/> yet all members of this class are so influential and wealthy as to be considered members of the upper class.<ref name="The American Class Structure"/> At the pinnacle of U.S. wealth, 2004 saw a dramatic increase in the numbers of billionaires. According to ''[[Forbes Magazine]]'', there are now 374 U.S. billionaires. The growth in billionaires took a dramatic leap since the early 1980s, when the average net worth of the individuals on the Forbes 400 list was $400 million. Today{{When|date=April 2022}}, the average net worth is $2.8 billion.

{{Blockquote|Upper-class families... dominate corporate America and have a disproportionate influence over the nation's political, educational, religious, and other institutions. Of all social classes, members of the upper class also have a strong sense of solidarity and 'consciousness of kind' that stretches across the nation and even the globe.|William Thompson & Joseph Hickey, ''Society in Focus''|2005<ref name="Society in Focus"/>}}
Since the 1970s, [[income inequality in the United States]] has been increasing, with the top 1% (largely because of the top 0.1%) experiencing significantly larger gains in income than the rest of society.<ref name="Johnston, D. (29 March 2007). Income Gap Is Widening, Data Shows. ''The New York Times''">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/business/29tax.html?ex=1332820800&en=fb472e72466c34c8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss | last = Johnston | first = David Cay | author-link = David Cay Johnston | title = Income Gap is Widening, Data Shows | newspaper = The New York Times | access-date = 20 June 2007 | date = 29 March 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071105051201/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/business/29tax.html?ex=1332820800&en=fb472e72466c34c8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss | archive-date = 5 November 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="Thomas, E. & Gross, D. (23 July 2007). Taxing the Rich. ''Newsweek''.">{{cite journal | last1 = Thomas | first1 = E. | last2 = Gross | first2 = D. | date = 23 July 2007 | title = Taxing the Rich | journal = Newsweek }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Richest Are Leaving Even the Rich Far Behind|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/us/class/richest-are-leaving-even-the-rich-far-behind.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 5 June 2005|access-date = 2015-06-26|issn = 0362-4331|first = David Cay|last = Johnston|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161009151510/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/us/class/richest-are-leaving-even-the-rich-far-behind.html|archive-date = 9 October 2016|url-status = live}}</ref> [[Alan Greenspan]], former chair of the [[Federal Reserve System|Federal Reserve]], sees it as a problem for society, calling it a "very disturbing trend".<ref name="Pizzigati, S. (7 November 2005). Alan Greenspan, Egalitarian?. ''TomPaine.com''.">{{cite web | url = http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/11/07/alan_greenspan_egalitarian.php | last = Pizzigati | first = S. | date = 7 November 2005 | title = Alan Greenspan, Egalitarian? | publisher = TomPaine.com | access-date = 20 June 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154749/http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/11/07/alan_greenspan_egalitarian.php | archive-date = 30 September 2007 | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="Greenspan, A. (28 August 1998). Remarks by Chairman Alan Greenspan. ''The Federal Reserve Board.''">{{cite web | url = http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/Speeches/1998/19980828.htm | last = Greenspan | first = Alan | date = 28 August 1998 | title = Remarks by Chairman Alan Greenspan | publisher = The Federal Reserve Board | access-date = 20 June 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070606121611/http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/1998/19980828.htm | archive-date = 6 June 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref>

According to the book ''[[Who Rules America?]]'' by [[William Domhoff]], the distribution of wealth in America is the primary highlight of the influence of the upper class. The top 1% of Americans own around 34% of the wealth in the U.S. while the bottom 80% own only approximately 16% of the wealth. This large disparity displays the unequal distribution of wealth in America in absolute terms.<ref>{{cite book | last = Domhoff |first= G. William | title = Who Rules America: Power, Politics, & Social Change|edition= 5th| publisher = McGraw-Hill | year = 2005 | location =New York | isbn = 0-07-287625-5}}</ref>

In 1998, [[Bob Herbert]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' referred to [[Plutocracy#United States|modern American plutocrats]] as "[[The Donor Class]]"<ref name="NYT-19980719">{{cite news |last=Herbert |first=Bob |title=The Donor Class |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/19/opinion/in-america-the-donor-class.html |date=19 July 1998 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=10 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311035419/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/19/opinion/in-america-the-donor-class.html |archive-date=11 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NYT-20151010">{{cite news |last1=Confessore |first1=Nicholas |last2=Cohen |first2=Sarah |last3=Yourish |first3=Karen |title=The Families Funding the 2016 Presidential Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/11/us/politics/2016-presidential-election-super-pac-donors.html |date=10 October 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=10 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310084809/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/11/us/politics/2016-presidential-election-super-pac-donors.html |archive-date=10 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> (list of top donors)<ref name="NYT-20151010-el">{{cite news |last1=Lichtblau |first1=Eric |last2=Confessore |first2=Nicholas |title=From Fracking to Finance, a Torrent of Campaign Cash - Top Donors List |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/us/politics/wealthy-families-presidential-candidates.html#donors-list |date=10 October 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=11 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310115335/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/us/politics/wealthy-families-presidential-candidates.html#donors-list |archive-date=10 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> and defined the class, for the first time,<ref name="CS-20141226">{{cite news |last=McCutcheon |first=Chuck |title=Why the 'donor class' matters, especially in the GOP presidential scrum |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Politics-Voices/2014/1226/Why-the-donor-class-matters-especially-in-the-GOP-presidential-scrum |date=26 December 2014 |work="[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |access-date=10 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311022143/http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Politics-Voices/2014/1226/Why-the-donor-class-matters-especially-in-the-GOP-presidential-scrum |archive-date=11 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> as "a tiny group – just one-quarter of 1 percent of the population – and it is not representative of the rest of the nation. But its money buys plenty of access."<ref name="NYT-19980719" />