According to the folks at Pew, fully a third of Americans now admit they are either of lower middle class or flat out lower class economic status, an increase of 25% since 2008.

FORBES: More People Identify as Lower Class

Other elements central to the negotiation that would impact middle income earners, mainly the extension of Bush era tax cuts for incomes below the border, patching the alternative minimum tax, and the potential loss in the payroll tax cut, suggest that the economic situation of the middle class as a result of the fiscal reorganization will remain the status quo at best.

FORBES: How Will The Middle Class Fare In The Battle Over The Fiscal Cliff?