Since the enactment of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, the federal government of the United States has taken a hands-on approach to alleviating poverty. From the minimum wage to food stamps, existing federal policies provide low-income families numerous ... More »
Christian Mitchell is the State Representative for Illinois’ 26th district. He is one of the chief co-sponsors of House Bill 3718, which would raise the minimum wage in Illinois to $10.65 by 2016. Christian graduated from the University of Chicago with a bache... More »
Increases in minimum wages appear to help some poor families escape poverty while having the perverse effect of dragging other families below the poverty line. More »
Despite the widely held view that minimum wages generate unemployment, some Nobel-winning economists have argued that labor markets are more complex than predicted by economic theory. More »
This classic study of fast food restaurants challenged economic orthodoxy on the minimum wage. More »
The story of the minimum wage in six graphs. This is the first installment of our weeklong series on the minimum wage. More »