Respuesta :
There are essentially tiers to the social pyramid, throughout history and even today. The social pyramid typically is comprised of tiers, or classes, in which certain people would fall under. Historically (as it is easier to understand), the social pyramid would comprise of the King or government on the top, followed by the nobility, clergy and lesser nobility, soldiers and traders, commoners, and then slaves. Understanding the economic prospects was easy. The top tiers typically were born into their power, and reaped the most benefits from the labors of the merchant and commoner classes.
However, this mostly changed after the Black Death and the rise of the Renaissance, in which the old serfdom was almost instantaneously replaced due to the sharp decline of available manpower, resulting in the rise of the merchant class, in which people took up jobs that dealt with trade, either being a merchant, a producer of goods, or some form of laborer. This, in effect, was what comprised of the middle class, and the steady growth of people that fell into this category strengthened it.
The second reason that the economy doesn't work without a strong middle class, lies (in name only) on the type of economical structure the country uses. The middle class can be eliminated in name only, but structurally it still plays an important role in allowing for the cash flow to continue, which sustains the economy as a whole. What exactly, you may wonder, does this class comprise of? The middle class comprises of all the key aspects in allowing an economy to flourish, from the creation of products through production jobs, to small time business owners transacting products which, in turn, is a small part in propping up the economy.
The only time the economy fails to work with a strong middle class, is when an unexpected event occurs, whether as a natural, financial, or foreign relations development. A strong middle class is sustained through the protective layer of laws from the government that keeps the rich from exploiting the working class, as well as a stable economy, a stable foreign and domestic relations within the government, a stable governmental system in itself, etc. Even with a failure of one or a few, if corrected soon, the economy can still sustain. On a long term run however, with major upsets, a strong middle class is not enough to sustain the economy.
I'll admit, the wording of this question is weird, and can technically be interpreted both ways, hence the different explanations. A strong middle class is the basis in helping the economy thrive by providing goods, services, jobs, and other securities. On the other hand, a strong middle class is not enough in being a security against failures that result outside of the economical sphere that can, in turn, impact the economic sphere. This is typically the reason to the failure of an economical plan, even with a strong middle class.
