Erin Ballard 

Haslam 
ENGL 1010 
December 11, 2020 
 
Annotated Bibliography 
 
Introduction: S
​ hould the United States raise the federal minimum wage? My 
purpose is to examine the problem of poverty in the United States and 
understand the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage. My intended 
audience is adults in America, specifically lawmakers and those who have direct 
control over minimum wage guidelines. This issue most likely affects everyone in 
the United States in at least some way. I plan to research the positive and negative 
effects a minimum wage increase would have on various groups of people 
including people living in poverty, business owners, and the average American. 
There are four main questions I am aiming to answer: How would the minimum 
wage affect employment? Who would benefit the most from a minimum wage 
boost? Would raising the minimum wage raise prices? Is the minimum wage an 
effective way to decrease poverty in the United States? 

Source #1 
Report • By David Cooper and Douglas Hall • August 14. “How Raising the Federal 
Minimum Wage Would Help Working Families and Give the Economy a Boost.” 
Economic Policy Institute​, 14 Aug. 2012, 
www.epi.org/publication/ib341-raising-federal-minimum-wage/​. 

Summary​: David Cooper and Douglas Hall wrote the article “How Raising the 
Federal Minimum Wage Would Help Working Families and Give the Economy a 
Boost.” Their article was published on August 14, 2012 by the Economic Policy 
Institute. Cooper and Hall start off by giving plentiful statistics about the main 
ideas covered in their article. They discuss the outcome if the minimum wage was 
to be gradually raised from $7.25 to $9.80 over the course of three years. 
Throughout much of their article, they take a closer look at the demographic 
characteristics of all the workers that would be affected by the raise. The authors 
focus on age, education, family income, gender, race and ethnicity, work hours, 
and family composition.  

Next, they shift their article from the workers, to the growth of the economy. They 
specifically point out that increasing the minimum wage would not result in job 
losses. Cooper and Hall also claim that it would help the economy to recover 
quicker after an economic downturn. They end their article by confidently stating 
that there are numerous positive effects of raising the minimum wage and that it 
“is an opportunity that America’s working families cannot afford to lose” (1). 

Response​: This source strongly supports the viewpoint of raising minimum wage. 
This adds to the argument that by raising minimum wage, millions of people 
would benefit and it would reduce poverty. The audience seems to be all of 
America, especially working families. The authors’ purpose is to convince the 
readers that raising the minimum wage is an effective way to boost the economy 
and families. Their article focuses heavily on logos. They share countless statistics 
and show a plethora of graphs and charts to convince the reader of their 
argument. The text also includes ethos. Both of the authors have an impressive 
amount of education in fields relating to the subject of poverty and public policy. 
They also include that a US senator supports their ideas. I believe this source is 
credible, but it is one-sided. They focus on the positive outcomes and brush over 
the negative ones. 

Source #2 

Phelan, J. (2019, March 25). Economist: 5 Reasons Raising the Minimum Wage Is 
Bad Public Policy: John Phelan. Retrieved December 03, 2020, from 
https://fee.org/articles/5-reasons-raising-the-minimum-wage-is-bad-public-polic
y/ 

Summary: ​In the article,“5 Reasons Raising the Minimum Wage Is Bad Public 
Policy,” John Phelan argues that raising the federal minimum wage would not be a 
successful undertaking in the United States. Phelan’s article was published by The 
Foundation for Economic Education on March 25, 2019. In the introduction to his 
article, Phelan presents the campaign across America to raise the minimum wage 
to $15 and hour. He explains the economic theory and the idea that when the Wc 
(market clearing wage rate) is raised, the quantity of labor decreases. The author 
shares, “This is one reason why 72 percent of US-based economists oppose a 
federal minimum wage of $15.00 per hour” (1). Phelan lists several statistics from 
a survey of 166 economists and how they feel a $15 minimum wage would affect 
the nation. He specifically mentioned that economists are undecided on how this 
would impact poverty rates. 

Next, Phelan lists five reasons why raising the minimum wage is a bad idea. The 
author got these statistics from a survey done over the course of 20 years by 
David Neumark and William L. Wascher. The first reason Phelan expresses is that 
raising the minimum wage increases unemployment. He follows this with the 
statement that low-paid workers actually make less overall when the minimum 
wage is higher. Next, the author says that minimum wage helps others at the 
expense of others. The last two reasons Phelan includes are raising the minimum 
wage decreases the opportunities and experiences for young workers and 
products and services would become more pricey. He concludes his article by 
suggesting that the only way to increase wages is to increase the productivity of 
workers. 

Response: T ​ his resource strongly supports the viewpoint that changing the 
minimum wage laws would not benefit the United States. It fits into this debate by 
clearly stating the specific reasons WHY the minimum wage would negatively 
affect the economy and American workers. This article uses logos and ethos to 
connect with its target audience, those who are fighting to raise the minimum 
wage. Logos is used when the author lists over half a dozen statistics solidly 
stating and proving the author’s point. This helps me to trust that the author’s 
claims are based on proof and can be backed up. Ethos is evident in the author’s 
occupation. John Phelan is an economist. He also uses statistics and facts from 
other economists. This adds to the credibility of his article by showing that it’s not 
one person’s opinion. There are countless well-educated economists who support 
the overall idea that the minimum wage is not as good of a solution as it 
theoretically sounds. 

Source #3 
Wolla, Scott A. “Would Increasing the Minimum Wage Reduce Poverty?” 
Economic Research - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis​, Mar. 2014, 
research.stlouisfed.org/publications/page1-econ/2014/03/01/would-increasing-
the-minimum-wage-reduce-poverty/ 

Summary​: “Would Increasing the Minimum Wage Reduce Poverty?” is an article 

written by Scott A. Wolla. The passage was published in March 2014 by the 
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Wolla begins by summarizing the origin of the 
minimum wage in the United States and what has become of it today. Next, he 
explains a chart of supply and demand in relation to workers and their wages. He 
makes the point that the higher the wages, the less of a demand there is for 
workers and vice versa. Then, the author discusses economist’s opinions on 
minimum wage and whether or not it should be raised, as well as what they 
believe the effects would be. He found that economists are very divided on this 
topic. 

Wolla comments that “it would be a mistake to equate minimum wage workers 
with the working poor” (1). He gives numerous statistics about who would benefit 
from higher wages. Wolla also adds that economists support the earned income 
tax credit. He concludes that minimum wage is not sufficient to support a family, 
but if the goal is to reduce poverty, there are probably better options than raising 
the minimum wage. 

Response​: This source suggests that minimum wage is not the most effective 
solution to reducing poverty. The article acknowledges that raising the minimum 
wage seems like a good idea, but in reality, it won’t help everyone in poverty. This 
source is credible because its purpose is to educate, not necessarily argue. The 
author looked at both sides and drew a conclusion. The audience included anyone 
who wanted to learn more about minimum wage’s effect on poverty, and the 
article explained things simply, so the point was understood. The rhetorical 
appeals used in this article are ethos and logos. They tie together throughout the 
article because the facts stated come from credible and experienced sources 
including the Congressional Budget Office and economists as a whole. Logos is 
seen through the visual charts and the continuous facts listed in every paragraph. 
Each statement plays a part in accomplishing the author’s goal of educating 
others on the impact a minimum wage increase would have on poverty in the 
United States. 

Source #4 

How does the earned income tax credit affect poor families? (n.d.). Retrieved 
December 03, 2020, from 
https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-does-earned-income-tax-cre
dit-affect-poor-families 

Summary: ​“How does the earned income tax credit affect poor families” is an 
article published by the Tax Policy Center. It was last updated in May of 2020 and 
explains what the earned income tax credit (EITC) is and how it affects those living 
in poverty. The main question that this article answers is in the title: How does the 
EITC affect poor families? This question is answered at the very beginning when 
the article reads, “The EITC is the single most effective means tested federal 
antipoverty program for working-age households--providing additional income 
and boosting employment for low-income workers” (1). The article explains how 
the US Census Bureau measures poverty by taking resources and income into 
consideration. The Bureau states that “the EITC was responsible for lifting 5.6 
million people out of poverty in 2018” (1). The article also declares that the credit 
doesn’t have a significant impact on the amount of hours worked, and it 
encourages people who qualify to work. The fact that the EITC has reduced the 
unemployment rate is also mentioned in the article. 

Response: T ​ his article doesn’t directly support either of the two main viewpoints, 
but it is more on the side of not raising the federal minimum wage. In the other 
sources I have used, more than one has suggested that a possible solution to 
decreasing poverty is the earned income tax credit. The audience for this article is 
those paying taxes in the United States, specifically those who have a low-income 
and may qualify or simply want to learn more about what the EITC is. This article 
uses a significant amount of logos. It is full of facts and data about the EITC, how 
it is used, and the impact it has had on families in our country. All the statistics 
were from credible sources such as the US Census Bureau. This ties into the ethos 
used in the article. Although it does not have a specific author, the text is 
published on a website meant to give taxpayers information and help them to 
understand the tax system in America. This article was very unbiased because its 
purpose is purely to educate readers and it doesn’t exhibit any opinions. 

Source #5 

D'Arcy, Patrick, and Jeremy Brewer. How to Turn a Cause into a Law. 20 Nov. 
2017, ideas.ted.com/how-to-turn-a-cause-into-a-law/. 

Summary: ​“How to turn a cause into a law” is an article composed by Patrick 

D’Arcy. It was published by ideas.ted.com on November 17, 2017. D’Arcy follows 
the story of Amanda Nguyen, an activist and founder of Rise. The author shares 
why Nguyen started Rise and her success throughout her journey to change laws 
all over the United States. D’Arcy lists eight principles that Nguyen suggests if 
readers want to create change in our nation’s society. He covers all eight topics 
with quotes and explanations by Nguyen. Some of the ideas D’Arcy included are 
to recruit an army to join you, model your bill on another successful bill, establish 
personal relationships with politicians, and keep your faith in democracy. D’Arcy 
quotes Nguyen who says, “A healthy democracy depends not only on its leaders 
but on its citizens’ ability to hash things out” (1). This shows that having different 
opinions and views is good for democracy and should not always be looked at as a 
bad thing. It also reminds us that what happens in this country is not only 
dependent on our leaders, but on citizens who are willing to fight for what they 
want. 

Response​: This resource doesn’t share a viewpoint of my research question, but 

helped me as I looked into solutions for my question. Because one of my solutions 
is to raise the minimum wage, I had to look at what it would take to actually 
change a law. This article gave a lot of insight. There is obvious ethos in this 
article. Amanda Nguyen has passed laws. She has had a lot of success and knows 
what she is talking about. There isn’t a lot of logos in this article. The only place I 
found it was when the author talked about how remarkable it is to have passed 
that many laws. He said, “​Thanks to Rise’s activism, a ​Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill 
of Rights​ was signed into law in 2016 by President Obama after passing the US 
Senate and House of Representatives unanimously — a remarkable achievement, 
as only 0​ .016 percent of substantive bills​ have passed the House and Senate 
unanimously since 1989” (1). The pathos in this article mainly comes from when 
Nguyen tells about her cause and what she has done to overcome her challenges. 
It is very inspiring and hopeful. The target audience of this article is any American 
who wants to change the law and is willing to put in the effort to do so. This article 
doesn’t have any bias that I notice and I would consider it very credible because of 
the strong use of ethos and the fact that the work is not argumentative, but 
informative. 

Source #6 

Hayes, Adam. Does Raising the Minimum Wage Increase Inflation? 8 Oct. 2020, 
www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/052815/does-raising-minimum-wage-incre
ase-inflation.asp. 

Summary: ​Adam Hayes, author of “Does Raising the Minimum Wage Increase 
Inflation?,” writes about the effect wages have on prices of goods and services. 
His article was last updated on July 7, 2020 and published Investopedia. Hayes 
introduces his topic by recognizing that there are two sides to this debate. Next, 
he gives data and discusses the arguments given by both sides. For the viewpoint 
that a minimum wage boost would increase inflation, he argues that employers 
would have to ask more from consumers in order to pay their employees more. 
Then, Hayes looks at the other side. The author states that if the minimum wage is 
raised in small increments, it does not have a major impact on prices; in face, it 
may even lower prices. He also shares the interesting fact that “increase in prices 
following minimum wage hikes generally have occurred in the month the 
minimum wage hike is implemented, and not in the months before or the months 
after” (1). This strongly supports the argument that boosting minimum wage does 
not have a significant effect on prices. 

Response: T ​ his article’s target audience is anyone who wants to learn more about 
minimum wage’s effect on inflation and prices. He covers both sides of the debate 
including the side for a raise and the side against one. He leans more towards the 
side that it would be a good idea, but I don’t necessarily think it is because of bias. 
He has more facts supporting the idea that minimum wage does not raise prices 
or cause inflation to increase. He uses logos by sharing statistics that attempt to 
prove his points. He has ethos because he has written for Investopedia for many 
years and has lots of experience in finance. I did not notice any pathos in this 
article, but I don’t think that was needed in this article.  

Source #7 

Konczal, Mike. “Economists Agree: Raising the Minimum Wage Reduces Poverty.” 
The Washington Post, WP Company, 26 Apr. 2019, 
www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/01/04/economists-agree-raisin
g-the-minimum-wage-reduces-poverty/?outputType=amp. 

Summary: ​“Economists agree: Raising the minimum wage reduces poverty” is an 
article published by The Washington Post on January 4, 2014. It was written by 
Mike Konczal. Konczal starts his article by pointing out that the debate of the 
minimum wage is very divided, but he claims there is one idea that most experts 
tend to agree upon. That is the belief that a raise to the minimum wage would lift 
people out of poverty. The author focuses on the findings of Arin Dube, an 
economist. He says, “Raising the minimum wage 10 percent (say from $7.25 to 
near $8) would reduce the number of people living in poverty 2.4 percent” (1). 
This data is clear. Poverty would be reduced if wages were raised. Next, Konczal 
insists that this data is consistent with other research. He discusses Dube’s 
exploration into 12 unique studies and his findings. According to Konczal, only 
one study made the argument that poverty would increase. 

The author dives deeper into the subject by talking about a minimum wage hike’s 
impact on three different measures of poverty. The measures Konczal includes are 
the cost of food for a family, the poverty gap, and the squared poverty gap. He 
believes that in each case, the minimum wage benefits people in all three 
measures of poverty. He concludes his article by stating the key takeaways. He 
includes that “there are significant benefits, whatever the costs” (1). He also says 
that a raised wage would help to combat wage inequality. Konczal ends his article 
with a quote by Charles Darwin about the mistake of letting people’s hardships be 
the result of laws and institutions. 

Response: T ​ his article’s audience is anyone who wants to learn about poverty’s 
connection to the minimum wage. I think it is credible for the most part for this 
audience and others. The viewpoint of this work is that raising the minimum wage 
would have a positive effect. It has a slight bias, but it tries not to be. I just don’t 
think it looks at the big picture. It focuses on a small part of this issue. This article 
uses pathos when it talks about those in poverty. I think most people feel empathy 
for those less fortunate than themselves. The article has ethos. We see it in the 
mention of Arin Dube. He is an economist and has done extensive research into 
this issue. His opinions and claims are trustworthy. There is also a good amount of 
logos included in this work. The data and facts help to convince and show the 
reader the impact the minimum wage has on poverty. This article helped me to 
answer the question: What are the arguments supporting the idea that increasing 
the minimum wage would decrease poverty overall? 

Conclusion: ​Each of these sources include unique information that helps to 
answer my research question which is should the minimum wage be raised in the 
United States? I have used these sources to see different sides of the debate and 
possible solutions to the problem. Some showed me the benefits of a new 
minimum wage law in our country. Others argued that it shouldn’t be changed 
because of possible negative effects. While reading these articles, I was under the 
impression that changing the minimum wage negatively affects more people than 
it could potentially help. I also learned about other solutions economists suggest 
to decrease poverty that don’t require an increased minimum wage including the 
earned income tax credit and increased worker productivity.  

I feel that all of these sources are credible because they all come from established 
websites, most have experienced authors, and overall, they have very little bias. 
They each used several rhetorical appeals, and I found logos to be the strongest 
throughout all seven. Each article fulfilled its purpose whether that was to educate 
or argue.