Round 64
Setting the City's Minimum Wage Policy
A mid-sized city council must decide how to adjust the local minimum wage, currently at the state floor of $10.50/hour, amid rising living costs and mixed input from residents and businesses. Cost-of-living studies show a living wage for a single adult is roughly $18/hour, but small business owners warn that steep increases could force layoffs, automation, or closures, especially in retail and food service. Larger employers and unions are pushing for a faster path to $20+/hour, citing corporate profitability and worker retention. The city has authority to set its own minimum wage above the state level but cannot set it below. Economists on both sides present conflicting studies on employment effects, and the council must decide on a policy before the next fiscal year budget cycle. The choice will affect roughly 40,000 low-wage workers and several thousand small businesses, and will likely draw legal challenges or lobbying regardless of outcome. The council wants a defensible, implementable policy that balances worker welfare, business viability, and administrative simplicity.
Status
DECIDEDWinner
E · Phase in increases gradually over five years, reaching $18/hour, with annual step increases indexed partly to inflation.Majority
E · Phase in increases gradually over five years, reaching $18/hour, with annual step increases indexed partly to inflation.Duration
6084 msTopic
Options
Checks
Baselines
PPV
Top Influences
Samples
Answer Distribution
PPV
Influences
| Label | Role | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5 | delegate | 1.106 |
| Gemini 3 Flash Preview | delegate | 1.106 |
| GPT 5.4 mini | delegate | 1.000 |
Voting matrix
Constructed Delegation Matrix
| To / From | Claude Sonnet 5 | GPT 5.4 mini | Gemini 3 Flash Preview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5 | 0.000 | 0.106 | 0.000 |
| GPT 5.4 mini | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Gemini 3 Flash Preview | 0.000 | 0.106 | 0.000 |
| A | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| B | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| C | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| D | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| E | 1.000 | 0.789 | 1.000 |
| F | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
Embeddings
Sample Embeddings
Samples
Agent Responses
Option E provides a balanced, defensible approach by phasing in increases to the living wage over five years, giving small businesses time to adjust through predictable annual steps while still moving workers toward $18/hour. Indexing partly to inflation adds ...
Gradual phase-in balances worker welfare against business viability better than an abrupt jump (F) or a compromise cap that may fall short of living costs (A). A tiered approach (B) creates administrative complexity and equity concerns between firm sizes, whil...
Gradual phase-in balances worker welfare and business viability better than an abrupt jump (F) or an arbitrary compromise with no clear rationale (A), while avoiding administrative complexity of a tiered system (B) or inaction (C, D). Indexing partly to inflat...
Phased approach (E) best balances the competing goals: it moves workers toward a genuine living wage ($18) rather than an arbitrary compromise, while gradual annual steps give small businesses time to adjust pricing, staffing, or automation instead of facing s...
E balances worker welfare and business viability by phasing in increases gradually, allowing small businesses time to adjust while still reaching the living wage target. It avoids the administrative complexity of tiered systems (B), the abruptness and risk of ...
Phasing in gradually to $18/hour with indexed annual steps balances worker welfare (reaching the living wage) with business adjustment time, avoiding the shock of immediate jumps (F) or the legal/administrative complexity of tiered systems (B) that could invit...
Option E provides a defensible, implementable policy that balances worker welfare and business viability by phasing in increases gradually toward the calculated living wage, allowing businesses time to adjust while ensuring wages keep pace with inflation. It a...
E balances worker welfare and business viability through gradual, predictable increases tied to inflation, giving small businesses time to adjust while still reaching the living wage target. It avoids the administrative complexity and equity concerns of tiered...
The council wants a policy that is defensible, implementable, and balanced, so a gradual increase is the safest option given the conflicting economic evidence and concerns about business disruption. Option (E) reaches the living wage goal while spreading the a...
The council needs a policy that is both meaningful for workers and realistic for businesses, while also being easy to administer and defend. A gradual phase-in to $18/hour with annual increases indexed to inflation directly addresses the living-wage gap, reduc...
The council wants a policy that is defensible, implementable, and balances worker gains with business risk. A gradual phase-in to $18/hour with annual increases indexed to inflation addresses the living-wage gap while reducing shock to small businesses and all...
A sudden jump to $18/hour citywide could strain small businesses and create sharp implementation risks, while doing nothing would leave workers far below the living wage. A phased increase to $18 over five years with inflation indexing balances worker welfare ...
The council needs a policy that is both defensible and practical: it should improve wages meaningfully, avoid a shock to small businesses, and be easy to administer before the next budget cycle. A gradual phase-in to $18/hour over five years with inflation ind...
The council wants a policy that is defensible, implementable, and balanced, so an abrupt jump to $18 with no exemptions is likely too risky, while doing nothing or outsourcing the decision fails to address local authority and worker needs. A gradual phase-in t...
The council wants a policy that is defensible, implementable, and balanced, so a gradual phase-in is more practical than an immediate jump to $18 or doing nothing. Option (E) best addresses worker welfare while giving businesses time to adapt, and indexing par...
The council needs a policy that is both ambitious and practical: it should improve worker pay, but also avoid a sudden shock to small businesses and allow room to adjust if employment effects are worse than expected. Option (A) offers a moderate increase to $1...
This decision requires balancing the urgent need for a living wage ($18/hour) against the economic risks to small businesses. Option (E) provides the most defensible and stable approach by phasing in the target wage over five years, which allows businesses tim...
The council’s primary goal is to find a defensible balance between radical worker welfare needs and the survival of small businesses while ensuring administrative simplicity. A multi-year phased-in approach to $18/hour allows businesses to adapt their budgets ...
Option (E) provides a balanced approach by phasing in the $18 living wage over five years, which gives small businesses time to adjust while ensuring workers eventually meet the established cost-of-living requirements. This gradual implementation, combined wit...
The council seeks a policy that balances the living wage ($18/hour) with the economic viability of small businesses while ensuring administrative simplicity and long-term stability. Option (E) provides a clear, predictable pathway to the $18 living wage target...
A phased approach balances the urgent need for a living wage with the necessity of protecting small businesses from sudden financial shocks that could lead to layoffs. Indexing the increases to inflation ensures the policy remains defensible and maintains work...
Option (E) provides a balanced, predictable path toward a living wage while mitigating the "steep increase" risks predicted by small business owners. By phasing the increase over five years and indexing it to inflation, the city ensures long-term worker welfar...
Option (E) provides a balanced approach by reaching the calculated living wage through a predictable, multi-year phase-in that allows businesses time to adjust. Incorporating annual inflation indexing ensures that once reached, the wage maintains its purchasin...
Option (E) provides a balanced approach by phasing in the $18 living wage gradually, which protects worker purchasing power through inflation indexing while allowing small businesses time to adjust their operations. This gradual transition satisfies the requir...
Timings
Stages
Errors