TheodoreKuiper

ProfessorLandrus
ENGL101
4November2015

RhetoricalAnalysis

InthenewsarticleWeShouldRaisetheMinimumWage,RobertReichdiscussesthe
raisingoftheminimumwage.Usingrhetoricaltechniquesisessentialtocreatingastrong
argumentandbeingapersuasivespeakerandwriter.Reichsarticledemonstratesaneffective
useofrhetoricaltechniquestoconstructapersuasivecaseforraisingtheminimumwage.
ThroughouthisarticleReichusespathos,logos,andethostoconstructaneffectiveargumentto
makethecaseforraisingtheminimumwage.Additionallyheisabletotargethisaudience
effectivelywithhiswritingstyle,andusesstasistoproperlyconstructhispositionontheissue.
Overallthisresultsinapowerfulargumentforraisingtheminimumwage.
Reichstargetsseveralgroupswithhisarticle.Thearticleisaddressedtobothsquelch
concernoveraraiseintheminimumwageamongeconomists,aswellasinsightaneedfor
actionamongthepublic,workers,andlawmakers.Heisabletotargethisaudienceusingboth
hismediumandhismethodofconstructinghisargument.ByusingawebsitearticleReichis
abletoreachamuchbroaderaudiencewiththepublicandworkers,thearticleiswidely
accessibleandeasytofindmakingitanidealchoiceforreachingouttothepublic.Additionally
hisargumentisladenwithurgencytomotivatehisreaderstotakeactionagainsttheissue,andit

isnotsoladenineconomicterminologythathistargetaudiencewouldbeunabletofollowhis
points.Moreover,heisabletotargetothereconomistsandlawmakersthroughhisuseoflogos
andethos.Citingstatisticsandothercasestudiesheisabletocreateanargumentthatcanbe
assessedbyotherprofessionalsinthefield.Overallthisculminatesintoaneffectivetargetingof
hisaudience,thatimprovestheeffectivenessofhiswritingbyreachingouttotherightpeople.
ToopenthearticleReichstartsbysaying,AcrossAmerica,theranksoftheworking
pooraregrowing,toconveyasenseofurgencyandexigencetotheremainderofthearticle,
whilealsodefiningtheproblembeingaddressedbythearticle.Theopeninglinecreatesalarm
foralargescaleproblem,usingthewordranksthestatementtakesonanevenmoreominous
tone,asthoughtherewereanarmyofpoor.Hischoiceofwordsisabletocapturehisreaders
attentionanddrawsthemintotherestofthearticle,andimmediatelyshowcasestheissuewhich
Reichisattemptingtotackle.Reichisabletousestasiseffectivelytocreatethefoundationsfora
strongargument,drawinginhisreadersandgivingthemaquickunderstandingofthearticleto
follow.HisintenselyexigentstatementisthenimmediatelyfollowedbytheprimerforReichs
argumentwhichfurtherdefinestheissueathandwhilealsoprovidinganappealtologos.Reich
states,Mostminimumwageworkersaren'tteenagersthesedays.They'remajorbreadwinners
whoneedahigherminimumwageinordertokeeptheirfamiliesoutofpoverty.Thisisan
importantappealtologos,Reichusesafacttoestablishthatthereisasubstantialtargetaudience
fortheraisedminimumwage.Additionally,thestatementusesstasisbyfurtherdefiningthe
issueathand,focusingthesubjectathandontotheminimumwageworkerswhohavethesejobs
asamajorsourceofincome.Reichseffectivelycreatesexigenceforthetopic,whilealsousing
stasisandlogostosubstantiatehisargumentforthedebatetoraisetheminimumwage.

Reichcontinuestoopenhisargumentbyaddingethosandlogostosupplysupporttohis
argument,andstrengthenhiscaseforraisingtheminimumwage.Byusingacaseexamplefrom
theCongressionalBudgetOffice,Reichsubstantiateshispointbycitingotherswhohavetakena
similarstanceontheissue.Reichcites,theCongressionalBudgetOfficeestimatedthatraising
thenationalminimumwageto$10.10anhourfrom$7.25wouldlift900,000peopleoutof
poverty.Hiscitationalsopresentsanotherstatistictomakealogicalappealtohisaudience,and
backuphisclaimthatraisingtheminimumwagewouldhaveanetpositiveeffectonthe
community.ReichutilizesSeattleasacasestudyfortheeffectsofraisingtheminimumwage,
whichprovidesafactualbackingforhisthesisthatraisingtheminimumwagewouldhave
positiveresults.Incontinuingwithhisargument,headdsethosandlogoswhilesimultaneously
buildingupexigencefortheissueintheformofacasestudy.HeusesSeattlesmorerecentraise
intheminimumwagetoprovideabackingforhisargumentclaiming,almostafourthof
[Seattles]workersearnedbelow$15anhour.Thattranslatesintoabout$31,000ayearfora
fulltimeworker.InahighcostcitylikeSeattle,that'sbarelyenoughtosupportafamily.Citing
thatalmostafourthofacityspopulationisalmostincapableofsustainingthemselves,createsa
deepsenseofurgencytosolvetheissuewiththeunderstandingthatmanypeopleslivescould
beontheline.WithinameretwoparagraphsReichisabletousetheserhetoricaltechniquesto
establishastrongsenseofexigence,aswellascreateastrongfoundationforhispositiontoraise
theminimumwage.
Reichalsousespathosandcontinuestodevelophisargumentbypresentingtheeffectsof
raisingtheminimumwage.Heenticesthereaderfurtherbysaying,Thegainsfromahigher
minimumwageextendbeyondthosewhoreceiveitappealingtoanevenbroaderrangethan

sheeraltruismandbeginstotouchontheeffectsofraisingtheminimumwage.Reichisableto
effectivelyextendthereachofhistargetedaudiencetoalsoincludebusinessownersbyclaiming,
Moremoneyinthepocketsoflowwageworkersmeansmoresalesappealingtotheirown
personaldesireforbetterbusiness.Byusingpathostoappealtothedesiresofabroader
audience,Reichisbroadeninghisargumentspersuasivepowertoincludealargeraudience.
Reichisalsousingstasisbyexplainingtheeffectsofraisingtheminimumwage,creatingthe
nextstepinhisargumentbyspecificallyshowingthebenefitsofraisingtheminimumwage.
Additionally,Reichadds,Amajorreasonthecurrenteconomicrecoveryisanemicisthatso
manyAmericanslackthepurchasingpowertogettheeconomymovingagain,whichcreatesan
evenstrongersenseofexigencebyrevealingthatinactionisalsodetrimentaltosocietyand
actionmustbetaken.AsReichcontinuestousetherhetoricaltechniques,developinghis
argumentthroughstasisandutilizingappealstopathosandlogos,heisabletoengineera
effectivepersuasiveargument.
TofurtherhisargumentReichaddressescriticismsandfearsassociatedwithraisingthe
minimumwage,arhetoricaltechniquewhichiscriticaltoformingastrongargument.Reich
addressesfearsofjoblossandeconomicdepressionasaresultofraisingtheminimumwage,
andReichpartiallyagreesbystating,Iwouldn'tadviseanyplacetoraiseitsminimumwage
immediatelyto$15anhourfromthecurrentfederalminimumof$7.25.Thatwouldbetoobiga
leapallatonce.Employersespeciallysmallonesneedtimetoadapt.Reichdirectly
addressesandevenagreeswithhiscritics.Thisisanexcellentrhetoricaltechnique,becauseit
createsamutualunderstandingwiththereader.Reichnotonlyaddressesthereadersconcern
butvalidatestheirconcernaswell,creatingasenseofunderstandingbetweenReichandhis

audience.Thisalsoimproveshisargumentbydirectlydemonstratingthatsuchrepercussions
havealreadybeenconsideredinhisargument.Overallreinforcinghisclaimandtyinghis
audienceintohisarticle.
ThroughoutthearticleReichusesrhetoricaltechniquestocreateastrongandeffectively
persuasiveargument.Byopeningwithasenseofexigenceandfoundingtheargumentonan
appealtologos,andbackingthemwithseveralsourcesmadeapowerfulopeningforhis
argumenttoraisetheminimumwage.ReichalsousesacaseexampleofSeattletofurtherhis
point,andusesfirsthanddatacreatingastrongappealtoethostopersuadehisreaders.Theuse
oftheSeattleexamplealsoallowsReichtomakeseveralclaimswhichfirmlyadvancehis
argument.Moreover,byaddressingtheconcernsofhisopposition,Reichtiesinthelastmajor
groupheistargetingwithhisarticle,andisabletoincorporatetheiropinionintohisown
suggestionsandsolutions.InconclusionReicheffectivelycreateshisargumentusingrhetorical
appealsandstrategiesthroughoutthearticle,andresultsinapersuasivepieceinfavorofraising
theminimumwage.

WorkCited
Reich,Robert."WeShouldRaisetheMinimumWage:Reich."
CNBC
.CNBC,27Apr.2015.
Web.10Oct.2015.