*Full credit will be awarded for concise, well thought through explanations, sup

*Full credit will be awarded for concise, well thought through explanations, supported answers (memes, polls, articles, videos, etc).
Begin by reading the below prompt:
The federal minimum wage — $7.25 per hour — is the legal minimum that employers must pay workers in the United States, with some exceptions, like for tipped positions. A livable wage is the minimum hourly pay needed for an American working 40 hours per week to be able to afford the United States’ basic standard of living.
The federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009, and more than half the states and Washington, D.C., have minimum wages set higher than the federal minimum. Most of the debate around minimum wage focuses on whether it has kept pace with inflation and the rising cost of living — essentially, whether the federal minimum wage is a livable wage.
Labor advocates, union groups, and social justice groups largely support raising the federal minimum wage to account for rising living costs. They believe that a higher minimum wage will alleviate homelessness and poverty in the United States.
Democrats have called for the rate to be raised to $15 per hour over the next five years. Their plan would also increase the base hourly wage for tipped workers and workers under age 20 and end a subminimum wage system that affects workers with severe disabilities.
Opponents of a higher minimum wage argue that such a pay hike would burden small-business owners with heavy operating costs, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Others say having a federal rate at all is not helpful because cost of living varies across the country.
Answer the three (3) discussion questions:
1. After reading the above prompt, what is your stance on federal livable wage? Why?
2. What is inflation? Do you think minimum wage has kept pace with inflation? Give examples.
3. What resources (if any) should small-business owners be given to compensate for increasing labor cost?