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Reasons for Supporting the Minimum Wage: Asking Signatories of the "Raise the Minimum Wage" Statement

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  • Daniel B. Klein
  • Stewart Dompe

Abstract

In October 2006, the Economic Policy Institute released a “Raise the Minimum Wage†statement signed by more than 650 individuals. Using an open-ended, non-anonymous questionnaire, we asked the signatories to explain their thinking on the issue. The questionnaire asked about the specific mechanisms at work, possible downsides, and whether the minimum wage violates liberty. Ninety-five participated. This article reports the responses. It also summarizes findings from minimum-wage surveys since 1976.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel B. Klein & Stewart Dompe, 2007. "Reasons for Supporting the Minimum Wage: Asking Signatories of the "Raise the Minimum Wage" Statement," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 4(1), pages 125-167, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:ejw:journl:v:4:y:2007:i:1:p:125-167
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    Cited by:

    1. John Paloglou & Walter E. Block, 2021. "A Case Against The Minimum Wage," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 16(3), pages 28-37, September.
    2. Robert Whaples, 2009. "The Policy Views of American Economic Association Members: The Results of a New Survey," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 6(3), pages 337-348, September.
    3. Eric Strobl & Frank Walsh, 2007. "The Ambiguous Effect of Minimum Wages on Workers and Total Hours," Working Papers 200714, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    4. Zeljka Buturovic & Daniel B. Klein, 2010. "Economic Enlightenment in Relation to College-going, Ideology, and Other Variables: A Zogby Survey of Americans," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 7(2), pages 174-196, May.
    5. Daniel B. Klein & Charlotta Stern, 2007. "Is There a Free‐Market Economist in the House? The Policy Views of American Economic Association Members," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(2), pages 309-334, April.
    6. Daniel B. Klein, 2007. "Economics And The Distinction Between Voluntary And Coercive Action," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 65-69, December.
    7. Art Carden & Mike Hammock, 2010. "The Truthiness Hurts," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 71-76, June.
    8. repec:thr:techub:10020:y:2021:i:1:p:465-485 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Erwin Ooghe, 2015. "Wage policies, employment, and redistributive efficiency," Working Papers 2015/42, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    10. Stephen C. Miller, 2009. "Economic Bias and Ideology: Evidence from the General Social Survey," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 25(Fall 2009), pages 31-49.
    11. Jonathon Diesel & Daniel B Klein, 2021. "A call to embrace jural dualism," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3), pages 442-457, October.
    12. Daniel B. Klein, 2011. "Competition as a Discovery Procedure: A Rejoinder to Professor Kirzner on Coordination and Discovery," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 27(Fall 2011), pages 121-144.
    13. Walter E. Block, 2013. "Creating Jobs," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 8(3), pages 7-16, September.
    14. Nidya Listiyono & Adi Wijaya & Irsan Tricahyadinata, 2021. "The effect of investment, education level, and government spending on economic growth and labor absorption in East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 20(1), pages 465-485, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    minimum wage; disemployment; non-wage job attributes; questionnaire; survey; liberty; monopsony;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J0 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs

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