The United States should establish a living wage

Apologies to my opponent for a delayed round. As per the agreed rules, this round will consist of my own arguments.Framework:We need to view the resolution, as with all policy decisions, first from a moral perspective followed by an analysis of the practical effects for obvious reasons. Thus, before considering any arguments regarding the effects of this policy, it must first be established that compelling private citizens against agreeing to certain kinds of contracts (sub minimum wage pay) is justified.Case:C1: The minimum wage is unjust, and strengthening it is immoralSelf ownership and autonomy are the basis through which all rights are recognized, and are the unique traits that define human existence. There is no good argument for why the government should have the right to insert itself in private contracts and demand that employer X pays its workers a certain amount. Contracts between employers and workers are private, personal, and contractual and mutually beneficial relationships. The state has no business in regulating and closing down relations that dont violate anyones rights, so unless my opponent can prove that somehow a higher wage is a "right" (a tall order) he loses the debate right here. A just government is one that protects rights, not one that violates it's citizens self ownership simply because such a policy is popular; far from being increased the minimum wage needs to be abolished.C2: Raising the minimum wage has harmful effects Far from helping the poor, raising the minimum wage (especially to the large amount suggested by my opponent) only harms those it serves to aid. As CATO institutes James Dorn exlains regarding the effects of a wage increase on the labor market[1]: "A fundamental law of economics—the law of demand—states that when the price of anything (including labor) increases, the quantity demanded will decrease, assuming other things affecting demand remain unchanged. In the case of labor, this means as the price of labor (the wage rate) increases, the number of jobs will decrease, other things constant. Moreover, the decrease in employment will be greater in the long run than in the short run, as employers shift to labor-saving methods of production."One has to ask themselves *why* the US, once the industrial capital of the world, now outsources practically all it's manual labor. Among other things, the answer lies in the fact that its simply not economically productive for producers to produce here. All that is going to happen with an increase in a minimum wage is harm to the underclass. Dorn furthers:" In addition to the negative impact of the minimum wage on employment (i.e., the number of jobs or the quantity demanded of labor), a rise in the minimum wage tends to draw workers into the job market (i.e., increase the quantity supplied of labor). But those new entrants will not be able to find jobs at the above-market wage rate. The result will be an increase in the unemployment rate for low-skilled workers, especially teens and minorities—and the unemployment will be greater in the long run than in the short run. Even though President Obama promises jobs to low-skilled workers, there will be many disappointed workers who won’t be able to find a full-time job or any job at the legal minimum, if the federal real minimum wage exceeds the market wage."As this evidence shows, artificially inflating the price of labor is only going to harm productivity and the under class in the United States.Thus you negate.Sources:1. http://www.cato.org...