IntroductionOne of the most discussed topics in the American economy is that of the minimum wage. As President Obama pushes to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, economists and politicians are debating whether or not raising the bar is a good idea. As inflation continues to rise at a steady pace and Americans are constantly working to feed their families, some economists know that raising the minimum wage would help alleviate some of the hardship. The last time the federal minimum wage was increased was in July 2009, when it went from $6.55 to $7.25. There are, however, many reasons why wages should be increased. Some may not think so, but raising federal wages could very well help the United States solve some of its biggest economic problems; the rising standard of living in the United States, the recession of the economy, and even the ever-increasing national debt of the United States. For the Sake of AmericansThe United States is home to nearly 317 million people today, nearly 50 percent of whom work minimum wage jobs. That's a lot of people working long hours every day at jobs that pay them nothing or barely enough to feed themselves and their families. However, raising the minimum wage would create a lot of jobs. The current unemployment rate in the United States is 6.7 percent; it is the lowest since President Obama took office. Most of this 6.7 percent is made up of teenagers and middle-aged people who are looking for second jobs to support their families. This is a demographic that wouldn't settle for 7.50 an hour even for part-time jobs, and the low wages discourage other groups of new workers from staying away from these jobs. Some of them...... middle of paper ......t. This is called “trickle down” economics, which is “an economic idea that diminishing marginal and capital gains – particularly for businesses, investors and entrepreneurs – can boost production in the global economy. According to proponents of trickle-down theory, these stimulus measures lead to economic growth and wealth creation that benefits everyone, not just those paying the lowest tax rates. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2013/12/31/us-population-2014-317-million-and-71-billion-in-the-world• http:// www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf• ​​​​http://www.learnvest.com/2012/10/how-raising-the-minimum-wage-would-help-the-economy- 123/• http://www.marxists.org/history/ussr/great-patriotic-war/pdf/economy.pdf• ​​​​http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/trickledowntheory.asp