Economic Inequality PBATs

Question 3: Should the federal minimum wage be increased to $15?

Background on Minimum Wage

You must answer the following questions in the background section of your paper:

  • What is a minimum wage?

  • What is the federal min wage?

  • When was it last changed?

  • What is a living wage?

  • Should the minimum wage also be a living wage?

Data Sources/Surveys

Data 1 - The US minimum wage through the years

Pew Research Center - Two-thirds of Americans favor raising federal minimum wage to $15 an hour

Gallup - U.S. Small-Business Owners Split on Raising Minimum Wage

U.S. Department of Labor - Minimum Wage Overview

Connection to Covid-19 Stimulus Payments

Opinion: Raise the minimum wage so working pays more than being unemployed

This is the average unemployment insurance payment in every U.S. state without the extra $600 in federal aid

Pro

Pro 1 - It’s not just paychecks: The surprising society-wide benefits of raising the minimum wage

Pro 2 - They Said Seattle’s Higher Base Pay Would Hurt Workers. Why Did They Flip?

Pro 3 - Almost half of all Americans work in low-wage jobs

Pro 4 - Minimum wages and the distribution of family incomes in the United States - Equitable Growth

Pro 5 - Higher state minimum wage tied to lower suicide rates

Pro 6 - VIDEO - Con el año nuevo llega la subida del salario mínimo a 21 estados y 26 ciudades y condados

Pro 7 - Minimum wage doesn't cover the rent anywhere in the U.S.

Pro 8 - (VIDEO) Democrats, keep your promise on the $15 minimum wage

Con

Con 1 - When does a minimum wage become too high?

Both

Both 1 - What does a $15 minimum wage do to the economy? Economists are starting to find out.

Both 2 - Esta pequeña ciudad tiene el salario mínimo más alto de EEUU. Pero los propietarios de restaurantes están furiosos

Both 3 - VIDEO - Así será el aumento del salario mínimo en California que entrará en vigencia a partir de 2019

Both 4 - Ventajas y desventajas de subir el salario mínimo

Both 5 - VIDEO - Opiniones divididas entre empleados de pequeños negocios por aumento del salario mínimo en Nueva York

Videos

All videos are available on Google Drive at this link.


Question 4: Should public college be free in the United States?

Question 5: Should the United States provide universal healthcare?

Background on Universal Healthcare

You must answer the following questions in the background section of your paper:

  • What is universal healthcare?

  • What is the American system? Do we have universal healthcare?

  • What is Obamacare?

      • When did Obamacare become a law?

      • What is a "preexisting condition"? How did it affect people's ability to get insurance?

      • What effect did Obamacare have on the number of people who were able to get insurance?

  • What do other countries do to provide healthcare? You can cite to the movie Sicko for examples.

Sicko (Spanish)

Sicko es un documental de 2007 del director Michael Moore en el que compara el sistema de salud estadounidense con los sistemas de otros países.

Puede utilizar la película en su artículo. Debes ver el papel en los EE. UU. Y al menos en otro país.

Estados Unidos

  • 0-41:43

  • 1:08:13 - 1:12:20

  • 1:28:00 - 1:41:07

  • 1:55:28 - end

Canadá - 41:43 - 53:00

Francia

      • 1:10:19 - 1:12:20 (esta parte tiene lugar en los EE. UU. pero se usa para comparar lo que sucede en Francia)

      • 1:12:20 - 1:28:00

Cuba

      • 1:28:00 - 1:41:07 (esta parte se lleva a cabo en los EE. UU. pero se usa para comparar lo que sucede en Cuba)

      • 1:41:07 - 1:55:28

Sicko (English)

Sicko is a 2007 documentary by director Michael Moore in which he compares the American healthcare system against the systems in other countries.

You can use the movie in your paper. You should watch the part in the U.S. and at least one other country.

United States

  • 0-41:43

  • 1:08:13 - 1:12:20

  • 1:28:00 - 1:41:07

  • 1:55:28 - end

Canada - 41:43 - 53:00

France

      • 1:10:19 - 1:12:20 (this part takes place in the U.S. but is used to compare what happens in France)

      • 1:12:20 - 1:28:00

Cuba

      • 1:28:00 - 1:41:07 (this part takes place in the U.S. but is used to compare what happens in Cuba)

      • 1:41:07 - 1:55:28