From the moment the minimum wage was established in 1938, Americans have debated the concept. Should there be a minimum wage – and why or why not? If we have one, what factors should determine its level?

Labor unions bargain with employers to improve employee pay, benefits, and working conditions as well as conduct legislative lobbying. However, unions are often criticized for blocking corporate innovation and forcing workers to pay membership dues regardless of whether they agree with the union’s bargaining strategy, and, in some cases, what a union’s legislative lobbying may entail. Why do unions exist, and what difference do they make for workers and employers?

The primary purpose of laws that require citizens to show identification at polling locations is to ensure that a person claiming to be an eligible voter is who they say they are. At the same time, voter ID laws influence who shows up to vote in the first place, as eligible voters may not have the required type of identification. The other side of the argument is that if a valid ID is required to book a hotel room, drive a car, redeem a lottery ticket, purchase alcohol, or board an airplane, why shouldn’t identification be required to vote? Where do these laws exist? How difficult is it to obtain a valid ID? How much voter fraud occurs in the first place? And how much do voter ID laws affect turnout?