WASHINGTON, March 20, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Wednesday, April 3, Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) returns to the hub of policy, Washington, DC for a pop-up debate, "Abolish the Minimum Wage" at The Burke Theater. The first attempt at establishing a national minimum wage, a part of 1933's sweeping National Industrial Recovery Act, was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1935. But in 1938, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law a minimum hourly wage of 25 cents—$4.07 in today's dollars. Three-quarters of a century later, we are still debating the merits of this cornerstone of the New Deal. Do we need government to ensure a decent paycheck, or would low-wage workers and the economy be better off without its intervention?
James Dorn, Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Cato Institute and Editor of Cato Journal with Russell Roberts, Research Fellow at Hoover Institution will argue in support of the motion. Jared Bernstein, former Chief Economist to Vice President Joe Biden with Karen Kornbluh, former US Ambassador, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development will argue against the motion.
Intelligence Squared U.S.'s spring season debates air on more than 220 NPR stations nationwide and are televised nationally on PBS.
WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "Abolish the Minimum Wage"
WHEN: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 / Reception 4:30 PM-5:15 PM/ Debate 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
WHERE: The Burke Theater at the U.S. Navy Memorial/701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW/
Washington, D.C. 20004
TICKETS: $40 ($12 for students w/ID). To purchase, visit http://www.iq2us.org
Before the debate, audience members will vote on the motion; afterward, the audience votes again. The team that moves the most voters to its side will be the winning team in this provocative debate.
ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED DEBATES (IQ2US)
Named One of "Five Podcasts that Will Change the Way You Think" by Forbes, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in New York City in 2006 by Robert Rosenkranz, and has grown into an internationally syndicated series heard and watched by millions. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers including Paul Krugman, Karl Rove, Malcolm Gladwell, Alan Dershowitz, Peter Thiel and Arianna Huffington. Intelligence Squared U.S. has presented over 70 debates on a wide range of provocative topics including global warming, the financial crisis, the marketing of organic foods, and the death of mainstream media. ABC News correspondent John Donvan is the moderator, and the executive producer is Dana Wolfe.
For more information about Intelligence Squared U.S., please contact Andrea Bussell (abussell@shorefire.com), Rebecca Shapiro (rshapiro@shorefire.com) or Mark Satlof (msatlof@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media, 718.522.7171.
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