Raising the floor.

• Position: GRAPH: COVER STORY - Cover story

In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama asked Congress to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 per hour, sparking a national debate (see article, p. 8). But the fuss is hardly new. When Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the first minimum wage into law in 1938, he saw the measure as a way to ensure workers were paid fairly. His critics argued it would constrain employers and cripple the economy. Since then, the minimum wage has been increased 22 times--each time provoking both cheers and jeers.

ANALYZE THE GRAPH

(1) The first federal minimum wage was 25 cents per hour. The minimum wage passed in 1963 was __.

a half that rate

b double that rate

c three times that rate

d five times that rate

(2) In 1990, the federal minimum wage __.

a did not change

b jumped from $3.35 to $3.80

c jumped from $3.80 to $4.25

d was a quarter of what it is today

(3) Since 1963, the most the federal minimum wage has increased at once is __.

a 55 cents

b 70 cents

c 85 cents

d $1.00

(4) Since 1963, the longest the federal minimum wage has gone without an increase is __.

a four years

b five years

c 10 years

d 12 years

(5) If calculated in 2012 dollars, the value of the minimum wage passed in 1968 was $3.25 greater than today's minimum wage. You can infer that the 1968 wage was worth __ in 2012 dollars.

a about $10.50

b about $12.25

c about $14.75

d about $15.50

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(1) Do you think the federal minimum wage should be changed every year or so to keep up with inflation...