Why the minimum wage should not be raised?

For this argument, you will choose a topic about which our society seems to be lacking calm and informed discourse. It will be your job to bring reason and concrete evidence to the discussion.
Rather than attempting to take on the entire topic in only 4-5 pages, you will answer a key question in the debate. For instance, the discussion related to minimum wage can become very complex. One element supporters and opponents often point to is the impact that an increased minimum wage has had on the city of Seattle, offering very different overviews of the impact. Someone interested in the minimum wage discussion could become an expert on the related effects in Seattle and craft a thesis accordingly. All sub-claims would be in support of this focused thesis.
Your paper will be between 4-5 pages (1200-1500 words) and will be submitted in MLA format with all outside sources cited in your text and listed in a Works Cited list. (You should utilize a minimum of three outside sources to support your argument.)
The key for success on this paper will be a fair representation of those who have differing views than your own. If you do not present—and then refute—the most reasonable views of your opposition, you will not succeed on this assignment, so you should begin by thoroughly researching oppositional views. You should do so by consulting sources written by those who actually hold oppositional views, rather than relying on sources created by individuals or organizations that share your views and might consciously or unconsciously distort the views of the opposition.
Thesis Creation
Your topic should be specific enough to ensure that you can explore a single, focused thesis in a manner that will contribute positively to public discourse. Many of the topics you will explore are too complex to cover thoroughly in a 4-5 page paper, so you will need to focus on one specific aspect of the topic to which you can bring clarity. You will need to become an expert on your topic, giving special attention to those who have written thoughtfully in opposition to your stance. You will not do well on this paper if you simply provide an emotion-laden rallying cry to those who already agree with your thesis.
Organization
Introduction
The introduction of your argument will utilize the “They say/I say” format. You will begin by providing a concise and fair overview of the broad topic, and then move toward the specific question you are addressing, beginning with your opposition’s perspective. Then you will provide a clear transition into a presentation of the main sub-claims that you will prove in your argument. You will conclude the introduction by clearly and precisely presenting your main claim (or thesis).
Body
I. The body of your paper will be organized around the sub-claims of your argument. Each sub-claim should merit its own section of exploration in which you will provide concrete and objective evidence that will give the reader sufficient reason for accepting the sub-claim as true.
II. After you have made the case for your thesis by presenting and supporting your sub-claims, you will want to consider any objections that someone from the opposition might raise as they read your argument. Address any potential concerns that have not already been addressed in the paper. (If all potential objections were addressed as you presented your sub-claims, then you do can skip to your conclusion.) If you fail to address any likely concerns or questions, your argument (and grade) will suffer.
Conclusion
The conclusion will act as your closing argument. Do not introduce any new evidence in the conclusion (Any evidence central to your argument deserves exploration in the body of the paper). This is your chance to leave us with a fair and powerful summary of your argument that we will take with us we re-enter the world.
Assessment
Content (70 points)
1. Do you introduce and support a clear, argumentative thesis? Does your introduction allow your reader to enter the paper in a fluid and easy manner?
2. Is your argument comprised of paragraphs that are organized in a logical fashion, each exploring one (and only one) idea that has been clearly expressed in a topic sentence?
3. Is the tone of your argument reflective of an objective and calm approach to your topic?
4. Have you address all questions or concerns that a reasonable reader might have?
Mechanics (30 points)
5. Have you appropriately identified where you have incorporated the ideas of others into your text? Has every source in your Works Cited list actually been cited in the paper, either directly in the prose or with a parenthetical citation? Does every citation in your paper refer to a source on your Works Cited list? (Flagrant errors in this regard can result in your paper not being graded.)
6. When you have used the words of others, have you presented the quotes appropriately, so that it is clear to the reader that the words are not yours? (Failure to do so can result in a grade of 0 and disciplinary action).
7. Is your writing free of mechanical errors? Fundamental errors like run-ons, fragments, comma splices, and subject-verb agreement errors will make the journey cumbersome for your readers.