The Conversation: America's Middle Class

March 15, 2010— -- The American middle class. It has been the ideal for millions of Americans for generations. More than 135 million Americans call themselves middle class, although maintaining the lifestyle in this economic climate is harder than it has ever been. Four out of every 10 Americans now say they struggle to stay in the middle class, according to a new ABC News poll. And only 6 percent of them believe they might move up within that category.

On today's Conversation, Diane Sawyer talks with Washington Post reporter Ezra Klein about the state of America's middle class. Who is to blame for the problems facing this group, and who is supposed to step in to solve them? Can America survive without a thriving middle class?

Make sure you tune in to today's Conversation for an important and honest discussion about these Americans. And make sure you watch "World News With Diane Sawyer" tonight and all week for more on the U.S. middle class.