Free Thoughts

Ryan Bourne joins us today to discuss the intricate hardships that the poor in the United States are experiencing. Some suggest that the United States should raise the national minimum wage, thinking that will solve some issues of the impoverished. Others believe that the poor have different buying and spending habits than the rest of the population.What do poor people spend a majority of their money on? How does regulation of services actually hurt the poor? How does coning affect housing prices? Should we raise the minimum wage to a ‘living wage’?Further Reading:Government and the Cost of Living: Income-Based vs. Cost-Based Approaches to Alleviating Poverty, written by Ryan BourneThe Regressive Effects of Child-Care Regulations, written by Ryan Bourne in Regulation MagazineRelated Content:Bringing Wealth to the Poor (with Michael Tanner), Free Thoughts PodcastLibertarianism and the Poor, written by Matt ZwolinskiPeople, Not Ratios: Why the Debate Over Income Inequality Asks the Wrong Questions, Free Thought