With nearly 3 in 5 Americans invested directly or indirectly in stocks, conservative strategists view this growing segment of voters as a new "Investor Class" whose members will increasingly embrace free-market and small-government policies as their investment portfolios grow. Democratic strategists question the premise of an Investor Class, arguing that even middle-income Americans own only small, 401(k) pension accounts and their interests are far-removed from the top 5 percent who benefit most from recent tax cuts. This debate anticipates President Bush's expected election-year push for tax-free withdrawals from high-limit Lifetime Saving (LSA) and Retirement Saving (RSA) Accounts.

Is an Investor Class indicative of long-term GOP dominance, or political spin to lay the foundation for the next set of Bush tax cuts? What are the progressive alternatives to LSAs/RSAs? We invite you to a lively debate about the politics and policies of Asset Building and Retirement Security.