Public Policy Is Minimum Wage - 1486 Words

An important matter in public policy is minimum wage. Researchers Neumark and Wascher states, â€Å"It has been one of the highest controversy topics in the political arena.† Laws regarding minimum wage have been imposed by the federal government and changed within the years since 1938 when former president Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards (FLS) from $0.30 to $7.25 an hour. Previously in the labor force, those in the mining, manufacturing, and transportation industries only compromised thirty-eight percent of the workers in the Unites States. However, through the years, Congress has notably expanded the coverage and subsequently increased the minimum wage rate. For that matter, the FLSA currently has about 85% covered from different labor forces and it gradually extended its coverage to state and local government employees. In 1957, the first minimum wage law, known as the Minimum Wages Act, was enacted to regulate the wages of certain industries. Since th en, the minimum wage has been raised 22 times to this day (Wilson). Often at times, living wages goes head to head with minimum wages. Low wage workers argue the standard of living versus standard of payment. Living wages is a wage that is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living, whereas a minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers (Sessoms). Published in 2004, Deborah M. Figart, the author of â€Å"Living Wage Movements: Global Perspectives,† states, â€Å"Wages areShow MoreRelatedMiimum Wage and Power to the People1746 Words   |  7 PagesThree – Power to the people The third and final alternative minimum wage is to allow the local people in the community vote on a living wage. This alternative would put all the power in the hands of the people; allowing them to decide what is best for their neighborhoods. If the people are allowed to vote in such matters, they will be permitted to use their voice and at the very least express their concerns with the gaps in minimum wage and cost of living in their community. However, there are drawbacksRead MoreMinimum Wage Raise in Seattle800 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum Wage Raise in Seattle After the protest in New York City, the issue of raising the minimum wage has come up once again. Seattle is spearheading this cause with a proposal of raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. This will help minimum wage workers a great deal by increasing their income. However, there are concern that this move could hurt certain businesses, which can lead to higher unemployment and contraction of the economy. The ethical issue surfaced as this will benefit some atRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Minimum Wage In Taiwan1541 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Nowadays, minimum wage is very important for workers in this world. In addition, minimum wage is also a core element of public policy in lots of countries. For example, minimum wage has become a hot topic in Taiwan recently. The Taiwanese complained that the working hours are too long, and the wages are too low. Because of that reason, workers in Taiwan have come forward to protest this policy. Therefore, according to this example, minimum wage has become an issue that cannot be ignoredRead MorePolitical Involvement os Power of the Public1456 Words   |  6 Pagesreason for political involvement in government intervention is the power of public opinion. When the people collectively begin to aggressively voice their concerns for a certain action to take place, it forces the hand of the government to act in response to that distress (Kraft and Furlong, 2013). There are currently nineteen states that offer a higher minimum wage than the federal mandate. Thirteen states raised their min imum wage levels on January 1, 2014, increasing the purchasing power of the lowestRead MorePros And Cons Of The Minimum Wage1620 Words   |  7 PagesIncreasing the federal minimum wage has been a controversial topic around the United States; many people are in favor of raising the minimum wage, while others heavily oppose the idea. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, statistics have shown that the minimum wage is closely correlated to public health, and it shows that this topic is a much bigger and broader picture than simply economics. The federal minimum wage has a history that dates all the way back to 1938, and the strong debatesRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Minimum Wage994 Words   |  4 PagesThe idea of the minimum wage is that workers are guaranteed enough money to improve their standard of living. The price of the minimum wage is determined by the state, but a federal minimum wage is set. Some states choose to go above the minimum wage, while others, such as Alabama and Louisiana, choose to not have a minimum wage at all (Root). The minimum wage is important to society, because it can affect many people’s lives. There are many pros and cons to having a minimum wage in the United StatesRead MoreWar on Wages1168 Words   |  5 Pagesthe dilemma of service employees earning minimum wage in the United States, â€Å"Even with the tax relief we’ve put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line†¦that’s wrong† (qtd in State of the Union Address 2013). The debate over whether or not the minimum wage should be raised has carried on for years between Democrats and Republicans. While many Republican politicians feel that an increase in minimum wage would be devastating to the economy in termsRead MoreThe Impact Of Minimum Wages On Society1741 Words   |  7 Pagestalking about how minimum wages can have impacts on society as well as if there are new laws coming into place to help the common person with a family. Also see if households are impacted by how much they are getting paid and see what companies are doing to help with those that are just making minimum wage. Providing minimum wage to workers ensures that he or she will be able to provide for him or her, as well as the family his or she is taking care of. â€Å"The federal minimum wage is not tied to inflationRead MoreThe Challenges of Implement a Minimum Wages Policy1077 Words   |  5 PagesCreating a so called â€Å"culture of compliance† among employers (Skidmore 1999: 435) is a low-cost strategy for facilitating the self-enforcement of minimum wage. This strategy implies the construction of persuasive arguments in favor of the minimum wage and the appeal to common values and beliefs such as, for instance, the principle of â€Å"fair pay – fair play†. Here, two main strategies for building commitment among employers can be identified. First, persuasive processes at the interpersonal levelRead MorePolitical Parties Of The United States : The Democratic And Republic Parties915 Words   |  4 Pages There are two main political parties that dominate politics in the in the United States: The Democratic and Republic Parties. It turns out that these two political parties are opposed to each other on a wide range of issues that affect American public life. Unfortunately, many Americans are unaware of these differences between the two parties and tend to vote their officials into office in an uneducated manner. This often results in the political gridlock that often characterize government business