Scott Santens
Editor of Basic Income Today
EDITOR’S PICKS
Opinion: The problem is poverty, however we label it
The prefixes ‘food’, ‘child’ or ‘fuel’ make life for 14 million poor Britons seem easily fixable. In truth, radical action is needed By Aditya Chakrabortty How ingenious are the British! Like the legendary Inuit people who coined 57 words for snow, we have devised a long list of clever aliases for the stuff that dominates everyday life. Know the ones I mean? Try food poverty. Fuel poverty. Child poverty. Clothing poverty. Transport poverty. Period poverty. These are phrases mouthed in
Latest Articles
How the American Unemployment Assistance System Failed
Why Universal Basic Income Should Be President Biden’s Top Priority
Income Inequality
Opinion: The problem is poverty, however we label it
The prefixes ‘food’, ‘child’ or ‘fuel’ make life for 14 million poor Britons seem easily fixable. In truth, radical …
Why work more than 15 hours a week?
Unthinkable: It was good enough for your ancestors, says anthropologist James Suzman By: Joe Humphreys Anyone feeling lockdown guilt – …
How did Americans spend their economic impact payments?
The stimulus checks went to help people pay down debt and prepare for an uncertain financial future. The impact …
In just three months, 6 million more Americans have fallen into poverty
The rise in poverty was triggered by a lack of new stimulus checks and the end of the $600 …
Pilots & Experiments
Meet the mayors pushing for basic income in 30 cities across the U.S.
Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, sometimes called “MGI,” was founded in June 2020 by founded by then-mayor of Stockton, …
Providing workers with UBI did not reduce the amount of effort they put into their work, according to a lab experiment conducted by Spanish economists
Universal Basic Income did not disincentivize people from working. The results of this study contradict one of the most …
Saint Paul mayor: Now that Democrats are in control, let’s really help struggling Americans
Laying the foundation for a more inclusive and resilient economy: “While the vaccine can reduce our likelihood to contract …
2021 Will Be the Year of Guaranteed Income Experiments
At least 11 U.S. cities are piloting UBI programs to give some of their residents direct cash payments, no …
The Social Debate
How the American Unemployment Assistance System Failed
A decline in funding and changes in the workplace — and how long people are out of work — …
Direct cash payments have been critical for Colorado families — Congress must pass more
Coloradans need real relief now. The more we can do to support struggling families and help boost our local …
A $2,000 Check Is a Good Start, but Struggling Americans Need $2,000 Every Month
Dr. King taught us that direct cash payments are a smart response to poverty and mass unemployment. In this …
Opinion: The Democrats’ victory in Georgia was a vote for cash assistance.
Prioritizing direct monthly payments isn’t just good policy—it’s good politics. By: Sean Kline and Jim Pugh “It’s not hyperbole, you can …
Andrew Yang
Martin Luther King III Endorses Andrew Yang for Mayor Because of His Support for UBI
“Andrew’s commitment to a basic income is why I’m endorsing him, and why we’ve worked tirelessly to support Democrats across the …
Cash relief for the poor now: Andrew Yang says he can deliver on Martin Luther King Jr.’s promise
Yang is a Democratic candidate for mayor of New York. King is a civil and human rights advocate. By: Andrew …
Yang’s Rivals in the NYC Mayoral Race Adopt Basic Income Guarantees Into Their Own Platforms
Andrew Yang favors a modified version of universal basic income that would provide payments of about $2,000 to a …
Andrew Yang Officially Announces Candidacy for NYC Mayor
Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang, a former presidential contender, officially declared his run for New York City mayor. In a …
Success Stories
Unconditional Cash Program in Chicago Provides Further Evidence in Support of UBI
While enrolled in a universal basic income program, Patricia Jackson had access to a reserve of $3,200 that she …
Universal Basic Income has been a ‘lifesaver’ to families during coronavirus pandemic: California mayor
By: Kristin Myers Universal basic income (UBI) has been a “lifesaver” for households participating in UBI pilot programs, Mayor …
‘It’s our duty’: How giving Canadians a basic income can improve health and reduce costs
‘Poverty is expensive’: Toronto doctor says universal basic income actually costs society less By Kamyar Razavi & Mike Le Couteur Global News One …
A Monthly Basic Income Changed This German’s Life, and Then the Lives of 650 Others
Michael Bohmeyer’s website, “My Basic Income,” has given randomly selected people almost $1,200 a month for a year to …
The Basics of UBI
Why Universal Basic Income Should Be President Biden’s Top Priority
An updated system of income and taxes would alleviate the worst crises the United States faces, including climate change. …
Editorial: 2020 Revealed That Universal Basic Income Cannot Wait Any Longer
By: Scott Santens Everything seemed to change in 2020, and yet in very important ways, what really needed to didn’t, …
BIEN Congress 2021 – Call for UBI papers
The local organising committee for the 2021 Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) Congress in Glasgow are very excited to …
The European Citizens’ Initiative for Unconditional Basic Income
The ECI is asking for a universal basic income that is unconditional, individual, and of a quantity that is …
Workforce Automation
The workforce is automating faster than expected, displacing 85 million jobs in the next five years
Some jobs will disappear and others will emerge as the world faces a dual disruption The World Economic Forum’s Future …
Half of all work tasks will be handled by machines by 2025 in a shift likely to worsen inequality, a World Economic Forum report has forecast.
Half of all work tasks will be handled by machines by 2025 in a shift likely to worsen inequality, …
Flippy the burger-flipping robot goes on sale
The pandemic accelerates the adoption of automation across industries including the food services businesses. The impact on workers is …
Caterpillar bets on self-driving machines impervious to pandemics
Caterpillar’s automation strategy was not born during the COVID-19 era but the global pandemic is accelerating its rollout. By: …