The Living Wage As an alternative to the minimum wage, some localities have instituted a “living wage” requirement in which employers must pay a wage designed to ensure low-wage workers and their families can live above the poverty level. However, this effort has met with stiff resistance from some interest groups, and generated considerable debate among economists about whether the living wage ordinances are the best form of government intervention to help low wage workers. Your assignment this week is to respond to the key questions below.
What specifically do “living wage” ordinances call for?
How is the “living wage” different from the “minimum wage?”
Who is helped, who is hurt by a living wage requirement?
What underlying data is used to justify a living wage requirement?
What are the long run impacts of a living wage requirement?
For overall arguments in favor of the living wage see the liberal think tank Economic Policy Institute (search for living wage) at: http://www.epinet.org/
For overall arguments against the living wage see the conservative think tank National Center for Policy Analysis (search for living wage) at: http://www.ncpa.org/
For more technical economic research opposing the living wage see the Employment Policies Institute at: http://www.epionline.org/index_lw.cfm
For legal research in favor of the living wage see the Brennan Center for Justice at: http://www.brennancenter.org/
Other articles (for and against)
“Perspectives on a Living Wage” at: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/wagingaliving/speci…
Organizations working in favor of the living wage:
Universal Living Wage Campaign: http://www.universallivingwage.org/ Living Wage Resource Center (Acorn): http://www.livingwagecampaign.org
Please include reference page / 2 page paper
Your final product will be a paper that: Addresses each of the four questions above in total. Is APA fortatted. The body is to be 2 pages minimum.
The requirements for your assignment are: 1. Answer each question fully 2. Define the overall subject of each question. 3. Cite at least three (3) resources from this week’s materials.
Students: Be sure to read the criteria and review the grading rubric on the next page, by which your paper/project will be evaluated, before you write, and again after you write.
Evaluation Rubric for Unit 2 Assignment
CRITERIA Deficient Proficient Exemplary Points Earned Overview of the Topic 0-13 Points Does not provide an adequate overview or is missing. 14-27 Points Overview is presented, though may not be clear or complete. 28-40 Points Overview is clearly presented including all criteria outlined above.
Complete Answers 0-11 Points Questions unanswered and/or poorly answered. 12-23 Points All questions answered with 1-2 sentence inputs. 24-35 Points All questions answered with depth and clarity.
References to Course Materials 0-5 Points Less than 3 references, no assimilation to the questions. 6-10 Points 3 references, minimal assimilation to the questions. 11-15 Points 4 or more references and assimilations show depth and clarity.
APA Format 0-1 Point Format has errors that impede professional presentation; and/or APA not followed, reference page missing. 2-3 Points APA format and reference page has few errors that do not impede professional presentation. 4-5 Points APA format and reference page is clear, professional, and error free.
Writing Quality 0-1 Point More than 7 writing errors, to include spelling and punctuation. 2-3 Points More than 4 writing errors, to include spelling and punctuation. 4-5 Points No writing errors.
Total 100
