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The concept of the minimum wage has undergone several rhetorical permutations. Originally conceived as a living wage, which would be a family wage, it ultimately became a matter of macroeconomic policy, where the goals were to achieve greater efficiency and in some cases economic development. In recent years, the rhetoric has narrowed to a debate that revolves around a youth disemployment effect on the one hand and assisting the poor on the other. This paper traces the rhetorical evolution of the minimum wage and shows how the rhetoric employed by various groups has been shaped by the specifics of the political and economic environment.

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