Recent reports suggest that the U.S. economy may finally be achieving solid economic growth after almost eight years of stagnation and recession. This news provides little satisfaction to middle-class households that have struggled to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. We need leaders who will promote proven policies for rebuilding the middle class and uplifting young employees into prosperity in a manner that unites rather than divides America.

A recession can have a significant negative impact on median household income. The longer and deeper the recession, the more severe and persistent the impact will be on household incomes. Household incomes still have not recovered from the 2008-2009 recession that caused an overall 3.1 percent decline in Gross National Product (GNP). The U.S. Census reported that median household income fell from around $56,000 before the recession to about $51,000 in 2010, and recovered to only $52,105 in 2013. Other factors that have depressed recent statistics on "household income" are the growing number of retirees with modest incomes and the increasingly large number of households that consist of a single-wage earner with children rather than married couples.

Economic growth

The starting point for helping the middle class is for our leaders to make growth the top domestic priority. As shown on the accompanying chart, when GNP is growing at a sustained rate of 3 percent or more, the median income of American households generally grows and when GNP sinks to around 2 percent, it declines

President Kennedy committed his administration to economic growth and reducing poverty. He argued "a rising tide lifts all boats," and jumpstarted a sluggish economy in 1963 by cutting individual and business taxes. In contrast, the last two presidents failed to focus their domestic policies on expanding the economy, and GNP and household income faltered. Now that the economy is growing at a 3 percent rate on a more consistent basis, some analysts predict that median household income could rebound in 2014 to $54,000 or more.

Minimum wage

A second approach to improving household income, especially for younger wage earners, would be to increase the minimum wage. Some people claim that thousands of businesses will close if the minimum wage is increased to $10 per hour. Since I made almost $10 per hour in 1975 as a college student busing tables in Mystic at Sailor Ed's, I am not convinced. The minimum wage was $3.35 when Ronald Reagan became president, and he presided over a period of sustained growth. That wage of $3.35 would translate to $9 today with inflation adjustments.

People working a full-time job in the world's largest economy should not end up living below the poverty line. By paying less, some businesses are transferring to taxpayers the responsibility of supplementing these employees' wages through governmental subsidies in the form of food stamps, earned income tax credits, and other programs. Consequently, increasing the minimum wage to $10 with exemptions for businesses with less than 5 employees and for summer youth employees should be given strong consideration by state legislators and governors.

Regulatory burdens

A third tool for sparking income growth for middle-class households is to reduce the federal government's regulatory involvement in the economy, which rose under President Bush and grew out of control under President Obama. Every business from beauticians to insurance companies wonders what requirement is coming next from federal agencies. It may be new Health and Human Services patient privacy regulations for health care providers one week, a Department of Labor order with 20 criteria for classifying employees as supervisors the next, and revised Army Corps guidelines on how to classify soils as federal wetlands after that.

Regardless of the merits of each individual proposal, all of these kinds of requirements have a compliance cost and new reporting obligations associated with them.

America's large corporations and technological innovators presently have about $1.5 trillion of corporate cash on the sidelines or parked in overseas subsidiaries. Many businesses will continue to lack the confidence to hire additional workers, reinvest profits in the United States and raise wages until this regulatory overreach is reversed.

Reject class warfare

The final key to increasing middle class prosperity is to end divisive political and media appeals to class warfare. We need leaders with a vision that seeks increased prosperity for all Americans at the expense of none.

Theodore Roosevelt was from a privileged background. Yet he understood that the wealth creators of the Gilded Age needed to be reined in from their worst business and labor practices, while still encouraged to invest and build a better America for their workers.

With a strong national commitment to achieving 3 percent economic growth, a fair minimum wage, reduced government regulation, and an end to divisive class politics, the middle class will prosper once again.

Attorney Glenn Carberry of Norwich, an attorney, writes occasionally on economic development and international affairs.