
Written by Nic Dunn
May 2, 2024
Originally published in National Review.
California’s new $20-an-hour minimum wage for fast-food workers has again sparked a familiar debate about upward mobility. In an election year, with more voters paying attention than usual, policy debates take on added weight. This offers free-market conservatives a unique opportunity to win over persuadable voters by articulating a compelling vision of opportunity that’s framed in moral, rather than purely economic, language.
While it’s important to recognize that minimum-wage hikes can indeed have unintended consequences, conservatives should emphasize the harmful impact of the hikes on workers, a point articulated well by the American Enterprise Institute’s Beth Akers.
“It’s precisely these most vulnerable workers in our economy who are probably the ones who need the most support and are most likely to lose from these sorts of policies,” Akers said during a recent episode of Sutherland Institute’s Defending Ideas podcast. “If what we care about are the people who are most economically vulnerable. . . . these sorts of policies are actually pushing in the wrong direction.”
Read the full piece at National Review here.
More Insights
Read More
What’s happening with education choice policy?
There’s movement on a federal scholarship tax credit while more states adopt private school choice policies.
Trump’s tariffs: path to working-class prosperity, or protectionist misstep?
Defenders argue tariffs will restore manufacturing jobs, while critics say they amount to a tax on Americans with little real benefit. Experts from both sides weigh in.
Congress should follow Utah’s lead on protecting kids online with app store law
A new bill to regulate app stores has been introduced in Congress.