Scott Santens
Editor of Basic Income Today
EDITOR’S PICKS
Universal basic income is about universal basic security
Imagine, for a moment, that the robots have won. The year is 2049—the same year researchers once pegged as the one in which A.I. would become smart enough to pen a bestselling book more adeptly than a human author could. Technological advancements have upended the transportation, manufacturing and retail sectors, rendering nearly half of the U.S. jobs that existed in the year 2020 obsolete. You’ve just had a surgery—a relatively minor, outpatient procedure performed by a surgical robot—and now you’re on your way to the
Latest Articles
Humanity needs to make some drastic changes
Universal basic income is gaining ground in some cities
The Many Places Basic Income Has Been Tried Out in Some Way
Is UBI in New York City’s future?
Income Inequality
Toward a Just Economy: How a Universal Basic Income Can Curb Racial Inequality
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 19, 2019 CONTACT: Ariela Weinberger, aweinberger@rooseveltinstitute.org Toward a Just Economy: How a Universal Basic Income …
Feds urged to consider basic income to help ‘gig’ workers
Article originally published June 11, 2019. OTTAWA — A cross-party committee of MPs says it’s time for the government …
The net worth of the average 18-35-year-old in the US has plunged 34% since 1996 to below $8,000 and only 20% are better off now than in ’07
Article originally published on 05/31/19. The net worth of the average 18- to 35-year-old has plummeted 34 percent since …
OTTAWA — A cross-party committee of MPs says it’s time for the government to take a deeper look at a guaranteed minimum income to help work
Article originally published on June 11, 2019. OTTAWA — A cross-party committee of MPs says it’s time for the …
Pilots & Experiments
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 …
A Japanese Billionaire UBI Supporter is Giving $9,000 to 1,000 People
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa is giving away $9 million to his Twitter followers in what he …
The Social Debate
Why universal basic income won’t die with Andrew Yang’s campaign
Andrew Yang, the 45-year-old firebrand of the universal basic income movement, ended his campaign for the American presidency Tuesday …
Andrew Yang has dropped out of the race for president but UBI is here to stay
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Andrew Yang — the unknown entrepreneur turned Democratic presidential candidate — is ending his presidential …
Did I Just Get Yanged?
It was New Year’s Eve, and I had decided to spend it with Andrew Yang. A self-described “Asian man …
Ireland Green Party manifesto features universal basic income
A universal basic income, free public transport for students and light rail systems for Cork and Galway are amongst the promises …
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
Andrew Yang puts his universal basic income plan to the test
Chad Sziszak didn’t believe it at first. He got an email from Andrew Yang’s campaign that he would receive …
Mayor Of Stockton, Calif., Discusses Universal Basic Income Program Results
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: What would you do with an extra 500 bucks a month, no strings attached? Well, thanks …
Experiment with basic income in Stockton is demonstrating how people spend it
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The first data from an experiment in a California city where needy people get $500 …
Opinion: Universal basic income can work. I know it could be the difference between life and death
I am the daughter of a single mother, a mother who raised me and my sister with the help …
The Basics of UBI
Canada can end poverty and shrink inequality by adding an annual basic income guarantee of $22K, new report says
Canada can afford to eliminate poverty, support the middle class and dramatically shrink the gap between the rich and …
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 …
Workforce Automation
Let’s Rethink What Counts as Paid Work
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 …