Brookings Mountain West was pleased to launch “Las Vegas and the Middle Class,” a major project exploring public policy initiatives designed to improve the quality of life of the middle class in Las Vegas, and to increase the number of people rising to join its ranks. Through independent, non-partisan analysis and policy development, we seek to advance public understanding of the challenges facing the middle class in Las Vegas, and barriers to upward mobility.

In collaboration with visiting scholars from the Brookings Institution - including Richard Reeves, Camille Busette, and others – experts at Brookings Mountain West, The Lincy Institute, and faculty across the UNLV campus explored public policy questions critical to Las Vegas and the region. As part of the Brookings Institution’s Future Of The Middle Class Initiative, this project combined the expertise of this nationally-focused project with a local-focus on the Las Vegas metropolitan region.

On Friday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m., Brookings Mountain West launched “Las Vegas and the Middle Class” with a series of presentations that explore the definition of the middle class, envision the future of the middle class in American society, examine Las Vegas as a model for understanding issues critical to the growth of the middle class, and evaluate the role of higher education in expanding social and economic mobility for the middle class. Following the presentations, a panel discussion allowed the speakers to reflect upon the current state and future of the middle class in Las Vegas and the nation.

Featured Speakers

• Robert E. Lang, Ph.D., Professor, Greenspun College of Urban Affairs; Executive Director, Brookings Mountain West & The Lincy Institute
• Camille Busette, Ph.D., Senior Fellow in Economic Studies, Governance Studies, and Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution; Director, Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative
• Richard V. Reeves, Ph.D. Senior Fellow in Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution; Director, Future of the Middle Class Initiative; Co-Director, Center on Children and Families