The Minimum Wage system was enacted during FDR’s administration in order to help American workers. It is currently set at $7.25 per hour and has not increased since 2009. Many people believe that minimum wage is necessary for workers today and should be increased. Other people believe that minimum wage should remain the same while others think it should be abolished altogether. Minimum wage jobs have traditionally been for gaining experience and not make a living off of. Minimum wage should remain where it is in order to help the economy.
Democrats believe that minimum wage should be raised. The Democrats proposed the minimum wage to be raised to $10.10 per hour an fluctuate with inflation. Their ideal amount is $10.10 but they also approve of a $15 minimum wage. The Green party also agrees that the minimum wage needs to be increased. However, they do not believe the proposed $10.10 is enough. They believe the minimum wage should be adjusted to a living wage.
People believe that minimum wage is the cause of poverty. However, less than one in five people earning federal minimum wage live at or below the poverty line. The cause of poverty is not minimum wage but, unemployment. Less than 1 in 25 minimum-wage workers are single parents. If at least one parent in every poor household worked full-time year-round, the child poverty rate in America would plummet by 72 percent. Raising the minimum wage does not address this problem and will not reduce poverty rates.
The role of minimum wage jobs is not for jobs that pay in the present, but for introducing low-skilled workers into the workforce and giving them the skills to advance the economy. Increasing the minimum wage would not help families that live below the poverty line. The way many government programs are structured, a higher minimum wage would not help the neediest of families. The majority of minimum wage earners are 16 to 24 year olds seeking to add to family earnings rather than making it on their own. The benefits of a higher minimum wage would only be reaped by this age group and not by the families that need it most.
A higher minimum wage is not what the poorest American families need. If the minimum wage is raised it might cause businesses to hire less workers. If they hire less workers, they most likely would hire higher skilled workers. This would make it difficult for low-skilled workers, the people who need assistance the most, to find work. The minimum wage system is beneficial for workers in these low paying jobs. However, maintaining the current minimum wage system would benefit them more than a pay raise. Democrats believe that minimum wage should be raised. The Democrats proposed the minimum wage to be raised to $10.10 per hour an fluctuate with inflation. Their ideal amount is $10.10 but they also approve of a $15 minimum wage. The Green party also agrees that the minimum wage needs to be increased. However, they do not believe the proposed $10.10 is enough. They believe the minimum wage should be adjusted to a living wage.
Republicans like where minimum wage has been since 2009. Republicans unanimously voted down the Democratic proposal to increase minimum wage. They also believe competition between companies will increase and, possibly, unemployment will increase. Libertarians also believe minimum wage should not be raised and that it should be abolished. Instead, they would rather the government cut its spending. The Constitution party believes that the government does not have the right to set wages or prices; doing so goes against the principles of individual liberty and the free market.
Works Cited
"The Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010)." Committee on Education & The Workforce. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/issue/fair-minimum-wage-act>.
"Green Party on Jobs." Green Party on Jobs. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Green_Party_Jobs.htm>.
Jamieson, Dave. "GOP Candidates Resoundingly Reject The Idea Of A Minimum Wage Hike." Huffpost Politcs. N.p., 10 Nov. 2015. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republicans-minimum-wage_5642a4d5e4b060377346e81e>.
"Libertarian Party Response to President Obama's State of the Union Address." Libertarian Party. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <https://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/libertarian-party-response-to-president-obama%E2%80%99s-state-of-the-union-address>.
Nader, Ralph. "Raise the Minimum Wage: The Democratic Party Sleeps on FDR's Legacy." Common Dreams. Common Dreams, 9 Aug. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.commondreams.org/views/2012/08/09/raise-minimum-wage-democratic-party-sleeps-fdrs-legacy>.
Sherk, James. "Raising the Minimum Wage Will Not Reduce Poverty." Poverty. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "A Solution That Won't Work."FrontPage Magazine. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
"Wage and Price Control." The Constitution Party. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.constitutionparty.com/wage-and-price-control/>.
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