Should governments provide universal basic income?

Universal Basic Income (UBI) guarantees that all people receive a regular sum of money to offset the cost of living and meet their basic needs. While small experiments have demonstrated the potential of such programs, some leaders look at global economic stressors, increased work automation, and modern wealth disparities as problems that could be mitigated with UBI. Advocates hope that UBI will lift all Americans above the poverty line and eliminate financial inequality. Opponents worry about the expense, noting that recipients could rely too much on government assistance and neglect their jobs, which would hurt the economy. Others have a concern that universal basic income would result in eliminated or reduced social programs, which assist the poorest populations. Would UBI truly benefit society?

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Additional resources to think about

Outbreak reignites idea of universal basic income
This report from the PBS NewsHour details how the federal stimulus package, provided to many families during the coronavirus pandemic, has reignited the idea of universal basic income.

Universal Basic Income Explained - Free Money for Everybody?
In this animated explainer video from Kurzgesagt, they talk about what UBI is, isn't, and the impact of a Minimum Basic Income (MBI).

Poverty isn't a lack of character; it's a lack of cash | TED2017
Rutger Bregman, author of “Utopia for Realists” gives a TED Talk about the tenets and facts behind universal basic income.

Canada's forgotten universal basic income experiment
Universal basic income, during Covid-19, has gained fresh relevance. This BBC article talks about a successful Canadian pilot project of the idea that is almost four decades old.

One Year on Andrew Yang’s UBI: How a N.H. Family Spent Their $12,000
During Andrew Yang’s 2020 presidential campaign, he decided to fund a test case of universal basic income. NHPR reports on the results of one New Hampshire family's spending.

Pandemic speeds largest test yet of universal basic income
The British journal Nature reports on how economists in Spain are trying out a pilot program of universal basic income during the coronavirus pandemic.

Twitter CEO to Fund Universal Basic Income Experiment in These U.S. Cities
This article from Newsweek outlines the efforts from Jack Dorsey, the billionaire CEO of Twitter, who is currently underway with plans to donate $3 million to a group of mayors of more than a dozen U.S. cities to universal basic income pilot programs.

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