Scott Santens
Editor of Basic Income Today
EDITOR’S PICKS
The Decade of Universal Basic Income
One thing to celebrate from the 21st-century “teens” – the rise of universal basic income (UBI). We’ve started a new decade, but you could be excused for not noticing. Usually publications and writers are falling over themselves to mark such a temporal landmark, to draw all sorts of conclusions about the preceding period and what’s to come, but we’ve passed from the Teens of the 21st century into the Twenties with little more than a desultory nod to the date.
Latest Articles
Let’s Rethink What Counts as Paid
Hull asks to be first UK city to trial universal basic income
Income Inequality
Do markets require redistribution to avoid market failure due to excessive inequality?
Wealth inequality is escalating at an alarming rate not only within the U.S. but also in countries as diverse …
With growth this tepid, is it time to give ‘helicopter money’ a whirl?
Growth is the default setting for modern economies. Humans innovate and improve, find better ways of doing things. Only …
The Significance of an Unconditional $1,000 per month
Andrew Yang’s plan to provide $1,000 in government-sponsored payments to every American adult each month — an “allowance for …
‘Socialism for the rich’: the evils of bad economics
Article originally published on June 6th, 2019. In most rich countries, inequality is rising, and has been rising for …
Pilots & Experiments
Hull asks to be first UK city to trial universal basic income
Hull wants to become the first UK city to test a weekly universal basic income for its residents after …
Why one Bay Area County Is Exploring Basic Income for Former Foster Youth
When Dontae Lartigue left foster care right before his 19th birthday in 2009, finding housing in Santa Clara County …
Santa Clara County considers $1,000 monthly payment to youth transitioning out of foster care
Transitioning into adulthood can be an arduous period for many people. But especially so for the young men and …
Pro footballer Sadio Mane is providing UBI to a poor region of Senegal
Out of the three members of Liverpool’s trident attack, Sadio Mané is probably the most low-key when it comes to …
The Social Debate
Candidate for Canada’s Conservative Party leadership has declared his support for a basic income guarantee
OTTAWA — When it comes to potential candidates for Conservative leadership, Bryan Brulotte isn’t exactly an outsider. He’s been …
Ontario’s Alvin Tedjo states that if he were premier, he would implement a basic income guarantee state-wide
In 2017, the proposed Ontario Basic Income Pilot (“OBIP”) gave hope to communities that have struggled with rising unemployment …
India’s Former Chief Economic Adviser Recommends UBI to Boost Consumption
Former Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian on Friday said there is no space for expansionary fiscal policy and opined …
Mitt Romney and Michael Bennet just unveiled a basic income plan for kids
On Sunday, Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) announced a bipartisan plan to do something pretty extraordinary: …
Social Justice
An inside look at Australia’s work-for-welfare system from three caseworkers
About 400,000 unemployed Australians are obliged to engage with Jobactive, the government’s main employment services program, in order to …
Germany just guaranteed unemployed citizens around $330 per month indefinitely. The policy is a step closer to basic income.
For about 15 years, Germany offered a social assistance benefit that was widely considered the opposite of basic income. …
Stay-at-Home Parents Work Hard. Should They Be Paid?
It’s not uncommon in the United States for two parents to spend long hours working hard — but the …
New food insecurity research says it’s black and white and not pretty
Many of us working in food security recognize that a large portion of the folks who engage with our …
Success Stories
How UBI Affects People’s Lives: A Compilation of Experiences from Basic Income Recipients
“In my experience, there is no clearer understanding of the concept of unconditional basic income than among those who …
One Year on Andrew Yang’s UBI: How a N.H. Family Spent Their $12,000
How would an extra $12,000 a year change your lifestyle? Your life? The centerpiece of Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign …
Early Results from Stockton’s $500/mo Basic Income Pilot
Stockton, California gave money to random recipients from neighborhoods where the median annual income is $46,000 – no strings …
A photo update from 5 families receiving a basic income
In 2017, GiveDirectly launched a Universal Basic Income Program. As part of this program, we are running a randomized control …
The Basics of UBI
The Decade of Universal Basic Income
One thing to celebrate from the 21st-century “teens” – the rise of universal basic income (UBI). We’ve started a …
New working paper explores a UBI in NYC and finds it would not lead to housing inflation
Skeptics of guaranteed income tend to worry about the policy’s inflationary effects; absent rent regulation, for instance, one might …
The UBI Maze | Reflections on ‘The Future of Work, Technology and Basic Income
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is the proposal that the state should provide a guaranteed income floor to everybody, as …
Eleven Nobel Laureates Who Have Endorsed Universal Basic Income
The idea of an unconditional basic income (UBI) floor where everyone starts with the same minimum amount of money as everyone …
Workforce Automation
Let’s Rethink What Counts as Paid
As artificial intelligence and automation multiply, so do dystopian predictions that millions of employees will become redundant, their tasks …
Robot bartending company is handing out cash to the people it is replacing
There’s no doubt that automation is going to have a massive impact on employment over the coming decades. Whether …
The Future of Work: A VICE News Special Report
The next Industrial Revolution is upon us, and scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers are warning of an imminent paradigm shift …
Amazon Is Planning to Open Cashierless Supermarkets Next Year
Amazon.com Inc. is preparing to open Amazon Go supermarkets and pop-up stores, an expansion of the company’s cashierless ambitions …