The Role of Faith-based Organisations in Poverty Alleviation

The minimum wage debate has been a hot topic over the past year, especially with the Presidential Election. This is a divisive topic that people rarely agree upon. There are essentially two sides you can take when it comes to this argument. Either people are for minimum wage or are against raising, or even having, a minimum wage. Proponents of the minimum wage are typically politicians who are lobbying for the vote of the people who feel that a minimum wage is critical to their wellbeing, and those who sympathize with people who earn “minimum wage”. Minimum wage is destroying America’s free market economy and someone needs to take action and find a better solution to this problem. Without anyone acting on this problem now, it can potentially be worse in the long run. Raising the minimum wage in the United States will do more harm than good to society because of the long-term effects.

The issue of raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour is a heavily debated topic. Both sources against or in favor of the minimum wage refer to a “growing gap” between low-income workers and high-income earners. Sources against the minimum wage believe raising it will increase this gap, whereas those in favor of the minimum wage believe it will decrease this gap. The arguments in favor of the minimum wage rely mostly on ethical beliefs, such as “pay should reflect hard work,” to advance the need for a higher minimum wage. Whereas, the arguments against the minimum wage use quantitative data like unemployment rates and economic analysis involving supply and demand to undermine the policy behind the minimum wage. Ultimately, the

Another strength of the article is when Briggs begins to summarize his thoughts and proof of involvement to stress his point. He says that within the World Council of Churches the Baptists make up the most membership and that they act as “members of staff, as members of vital committees and commissions, and as office holders. I think we punch well above our weight in these respects.”3 These numbers and offices help to prove his point that Baptists are not as separated and as anti-ecumencial as some may observe them to be. He goes on to add that there are other levels of involvement that range from regional to national in Christian aid organizations.

There has been many conversations about what the positive impacts can come to America 's lowest income workers as a result of an increase in the minimum wage, and there has also been equally as many discussions over the negative effects the increase can have on similar people. This paper’s purpose is to combine each viewpoint and objectively analyze the arguments for and against an increase in the minimum wage. I will first discuss the benefits for an increase, then the disadvantages, and in the last paragraph, I will

The world is filled with luxuries such as personal islands, gold-plated cars, or crystal pianos. What about everyday items like food, clothing, and shelter? Families in the United States can barely afford such items because of an American tragedy: the minimum wage. Though the sights and sounds of fluttering money is alluring, it is also elusive. The minimum wage is a tragic loss for the United States because it cannot even provide the bare minimum for employees working tirelessly for it. Opposition of raising it can be negated by statistics that show how the country can move into a brighter future. Data from economic research shows

We all want to help others. It’s part of our human nature. So why not raise the minimum wage and help these people living on the poverty line to provide a little extra for their family? It sounds like the right thing to do. But is it really helping? The ethical, legal and political standpoints on the minimum wage increase are complicated at best. Throughout this paper you will be informed on both sides of the

Protesters demonstrate for higher minimum wages every year. Protesters demand even higher wages than what some employers can handle paying. All people want to be able to live without worrying if they can pay for the necessities of life. We all want to be able to enjoy the high life, which comes with earning more money. Even if the amount of minimum wage cannot benefit us all with great impact, it can at least benefit those who need the money to rise above the poverty line. Many people don’t understand that there are also negative outcomes of wanting increase the minimum wage for employees. Most people only consider that the money earned will help themselves and their family members. Nevertheless, one thing the people know is that a small wage of 7 – 8 dollars isn’t enough to live well on. Nor is a higher wage of 10 – 15 dollars satisfying enough for us either. These issues show we need a balanced

In recent news, President Barack Obama has pledged to support an increase to the minimum wage of at least 9 dollars per hour. He also supports indexing the minimum wage according to inflation (Doyle, 2013). This would create an increase in the minimum wage whenever the cost of living rises. During his 2013 State of the Union Address, President Obama “argued that hiking the minimum wage would improve the lives of millions of workers and their families” (Jamieson, 2013, para. 9). The Obama Administration backs legislation brought to Congress by Senator Tom Harkin and Representative George Miller. Because the two men feel that a hike to $9 would not be enough, they support increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 (Jamieson, 2013). Unfortunately, in March 2013, the House struck down hopes for passing this minimum wage bill for a value of $10.10. Many reasons were given for the event, but, namely, there was division within the Democratic Party (Dinan, 2013). Now, the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour and this last increase was made back in 2009 (Doyle, 2013). The debate over minimum wage can be found at all levels of society from the

In the summer of 2014, legislature intended to raise the current minimum wage floor of $7.25 in the United States stalled in Congress. As the November election approaches, many Democratic senate members are placing the issue of minimum wage at the forefront of their election campaigns, hoping to sway working-class voters in their favor. The issue of minimum wage has become a matter of politics, politics which far overshadow the far more pertinent concern of minimum wage’s economic effects. Minimum wage is a complex issue, and understanding both the benefits and harms associated with minimum wage is critical to making an informed political decision, a decision hopefully substantiated by economics.

In the United States the time has come for the next president to be elected and the political fervor has come early this year with an unconventional, surprisingly interesting primary race. With the coming of a new commander in chief the incessant grilling of the candidates has begun and issues, such as poverty in the United States, are being given the national spot light during debates. The issue of poverty has recently gained traction among citizens as well as politicians, and to the credit of the activists behind the increase in outspoken rhetoric gaining increased traction. When each of the politicians on their respective stages discussed the issue at hand, the validity of the problem heightened. This has created minimum wage as its own political issue, which has moved it away from being a suggestion for a problem into a problem of its own. Minimum wage is a flawed approach to the ever expanding problem of poverty. Actions will be taken to battle poverty, however, minimum wage is not the best direction for America to proceed in. A higher minimum wage does more harm than good, hurting the American economy, increasing the price of needed goods, and raising unemployment.

The question that ponders many people’s minds is whether the federal minimum wage should be increased or not. The current U.S. minimum wage is $7.50 and this wage has not increased since 2009. Families with minimum income wages are suffering due to the fact that they cannot provide everyday needs for their families. This is the reason why many people are rioting. They are frustrated with the government’s nonchalant attitude towards the hard situations in which they are living in. A final decision must be made about this topic because at this rate people’s purchasing power will diminish while inflation will keep occurring. The federal minimum wage needs to be raised in order to help improve the living conditions of poor families, increase the economy’s stability, and decrease the unemployment rate. However, some people believe that increasing the minimum wage will cause small or large businesses to fire some of their employees because they are not able to pay everyone the same wage. This will stop economic growth causing an opposite effect than what was intended. These people need to realize that increasing the minimum wage will create more positive effects rather than negative effects. The federal minimum wage need to increase to at least $10 so families are able to keep up with inflation and the cost of living.

In more recent history, one of the first local victories in the living wage movement took place in the early 1990s. In Baltimore, over fifty churches approached the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees to join in creating an organization of churches, labor union members, and low-wage service workers (William). The churches decided to join together for this cause because they saw first hand how low- wage workers were turning food stamps, publicly financed health care, and private assistance from churches. They saw an increase in the use of their soup kitchens and pantries by those who did, in fact, have a job. The churches concluded that minimum wage was not a just wage. This minimum wage no benefit jobs were no helping

In America and countries around the world, we face a universal problem: poverty. Among many options, a widespread solution for this problem is the implementation of a minimum wage. Aside from the US, countries such as Luxembourg, Belgium, and Ireland all have set minimum wages(Petroff). Minimum wage was first established during the Great Depression when President John F.Kennedy was striving to help the economy and lift many Americans out of poverty(Day). At the time, the minimum wage was $0.25 an hour, which corresponds to about $3.98 an hour in today’s money(Minimum Wage). Since then, the minimum wage has steadily increased to today’s $7.25 an hour. With the fluctuating economy, people’s views and opinions on the subject have swayed every which way throughout the years, with minimum wages rising and falling over different cities, states and countries. The imminent truth is that people simply need more money, with around 60% of the population already in poverty (Dunkelberg). Often times, people are very liberal with this issue and suggest that America raise the minimum wage drastically to $15.00 an hour. The face of the proposition is a pretty one, suggesting that everyone gets more money, so how could one say no? While increasing the minimum wage has had some small benefits, especially from an employee’s perspective, the success of this idea proves to be a facade on the face of the future

Recorded in 2015, average living wage has been recorded at $11.87, as the minimum wage would’ve been if Congress had adjusted it for inflation over the past 35 years. While $7.25 may not seem that bad, when factoring some general expenses. Giving into consideration for the general public the biggest reason the minimum wage should be increased is the dramatic heights which gas prices have been shooting up again. Due to our national situations, gas prices have risen to nearly three dollars a gallon. Say one person were making the minimum wage amount third of their money goes to their gas tank. Unless such person lived precisely close to their job, it’s proven to be very costly. About 7.3 million personnel in the United States would value from an increases in the minimum wage. Almost 5,256,000 of those individuals, around 72%, are authorized drivers that could desperately use financial assistance with the rising prices and inflation. “The federal government is not living up to its responsibility so the states are acting,” (Senator

There has been many conversations about what the positive impacts can come to America 's lowest income workers as a result of an increase in the minimum wage, and there has also been equally as many discussions over the negative effects the increase can have on similar people. This paper’s purpose is to combine each viewpoint and objectively analyze the arguments for and against an increase in the minimum wage. I will first discuss the