Labor Relations: Trade, Education, and the Disappearing Middle Class

This essay explores the correlation between labor relations and the shrinking middle class, drawing insights from Tom Geoghegan's work and other research articles. It analyzes how factors like globalization, trade policies, and education influence income inequality and the disappearance of the middle class. The essay discusses predictions for the future, comparing Geoghegan's views with those presented in the research articles, focusing on the potential role of labor movements and policy changes in addressing this economic disparity. The essay references works by Blanchard and Willmann (2016) and Leicht and Fitzgerald (2013) to support its analysis of the economic factors contributing to the stagnation of middle-class income and the need for revised trade and educational policies to promote economic polarization.

Running head: LABOR RELATIONS
LABOR RELATIONS AND DISAPPEARING MIDDLE CLASS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1LABOR RELATIONS
Answer 1
Inequality is one of the biggest concerns of global society as it is engulfing the freedom,
opportunities and pushes the society back into slavery and colonization, from where the root of
inequality belongs. Tom Geoghegan, in his book mentioned about this social disparity and
demonstrated the fact that the middle class of America is shrinking because if such social
inequality (Geoghegan, 2014). In a research article by Blanchard and Willmann (2016), while
searching for a better trade and education policies the authors supported the fact that
reinforcement of effective policies is an effective way to strengthen the middle class. The paper
identifies that due to globalization and absence of trade liberation the polarization of capital was
limited to a section of society. However, changed trade and educational policies can help in the
induction of equal polarization of education and employment in the society. Further, another
book by Leicht and Fitzgerald (2013) compares the modern trade with public policies and
macroeconomic theories of this century and determined the income of middle class as stagnated.
Answer 2
Tom Geophegan predicts that in future, the labor movement will be beneficial for
induction of the shift in the equal polarization of the economy. Further, he thinks that
aggregation of the demands and voices will break the silence of political family, as they are not
accepting the fact that disappearing middle class has made the American trade and business, the
biggest debtor country in the world (Geoghegan, 2014). Similarly, the research article by
Blanchard and Willmann (2016), determines that last few decades has seen the disappearing
pattern of middle class from trade, business educational sector. Further to reinforce these again in
the American economy, changed policies and norms in case of trade liberalization and import

2LABOR RELATIONS
competition as these are the prime reason for decrease in the job opportunity and remuneration.
Furthermore, the researchers identified an endogenous skill acquisition through which the
policies of trade liberation can be modified for the development of equity and polarization of
economic and educational facility properly (Leicht and Fitzgerald, 2013).

3LABOR RELATIONS
References
Blanchard, E., & Willmann, G. (2016). Trade, education, and the shrinking middle class. Journal
of International Economics, 99, 263-278.
Geoghegan, T., (2014). Only one thing can save us: Why America needs a new kind of labor
movement, 1st Edn, PP. 3-45, 185-212, New Press, The.
Leicht, K. T., & Fitzgerald, S. T. (2013). Middle class meltdown in America: Causes,
consequences, and remedies, 2nd Edn, pp. 15-147, Routledge.