icymakers reached an agreement as to what statutes would be included within the updated New Deal’s economic stimulus programs. Among those provisions, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 was instituted because it was believed to protect workers and stimulate the economy simultaneously (M.W. Overview). Meaning that, the federal government was not only concerned with rebuilding the United States’ economy, but they also recognized the importance of financial stability among all citizens. As a result of this recognition, Congress felt the need to implement a program that was specifically designed to protect employees from being over-worked and under-paid. Thus, in 1938 the first minimum wage of $0.25 an hour was enacted as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (Sherk). This mandated pay rate ensured that workers would not only earn enough to sufficiently support themselves but also enough to support a family. Since the initial implementation of the minimum wage, Congress has decreed several raises in order to maintain an adequate income. In fact, according to Mark Sherk, author of The Negative Effects of Minimum Wage Laws, the minimum wage has been increased twenty-two times throughout its existence (Sherk). These increases suggest that the United States government recognized that its citizens were being underpaid and therefore adjusted the minimum wage accordingly so that workers would be compensated properly.
With that being said, it is obvious that the United States government regulates the minimum wage, however it is also important to recognize that the responsibilities of the minimum wage are divided between different levels of government such as: national, state and local jurisdictions. The United States is operated by a federalist government, meaning that multiple levels of government share power (O’Gorman). For instance, a popular example of this type of government being exercised is allowing individual sta...