The Rhetorical Evolution of the Minimum Wage

Oren Levin-Waldman
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Oren Levin-Waldman: The Jerome Levy Economics Institute

Macroeconomics from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: The concept of the minimum wage has undergone several rhetorical permutations. Originally conceived as a living wage, which would function as a family wage, it ultimately became a matter of macroeconomic policy, the goals of which were to achieve greater efficiency and in some cases economic development. In recent years, the rhetoric has narrowed to a debate that pits a youth disemployment effect against assisting the poor. This paper traces the rhetorical evolution of the minimum wage and shows how the rhetoric employed by various groups has been shaped by the specifics of the political and economic environment.

JEL-codes: E (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 29 pages
Date: 2000-10-06
Note: Type of Document - Adobe Acrobat PDF; prepared on IBM PC; to print on PostScript; pages: 29; figures: included
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wpa:wuwpma:0004027

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