Scott Santens
Editor of Basic Income Today
EDITOR’S PICKS
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 was one of his biggest obstacles. He struggled to find places he could afford on his $12 an hour salary at Walmart, and with a limited income and no rental history, he found landlords were often wary of returning his calls. So Lartigue, who is now 29 years old, ended up couch surfing or sleeping in his car. “Right now when
Latest Articles
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
Paid To Be Alive: Can Universal Basic Income Change Lives In Sri Lanka?
Imagine a world in which the government grants every individual enough money to cover their basic needs: food, water …
Gisèle Huff – Santa Clara County Social Services Committee (Basic Income)
Gisele Huff addresses the Santa Clara County (home of Silicon Valley) Social Services Committee, proposing a universal basic income …
Money for all: Panel to explore idea of basic income payments in Maine
In countries like Canada, Finland and the Netherlands and states like California, governments and philanthropists are experimenting with the …
A charity dropped a massive stimulus package on rural Kenya — and transformed the economy
For about a decade now, the charity GiveDirectly has been distributing cash straight to poor residents in sub-Saharan Africa, starting in …
The Social Debate
The great Indian basic income debate
Basic income is becoming a real and tangible policy consideration in India. In the past decade, many prominent Indian …
Where are the 2020 democratic candidates on Universal Basic Income?
I am a volunteer soccer coach for underprivileged kids in the impoverished Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. Every morning …
Universal Basic Income Gains Momentum Beyond Yang at Fourth Debate as Gabbard and Castro Add Their Support
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang promoted his signature campaign promise of a $1,000 “Freedom Dividend” for all Americans during Tuesday’s …
Opinion: What is missing from the UBI debate is the perspective of the poor
In this piece for the Dissident Voice, Andrew Johnson argues that people claiming UBI creates a disincentive to work …
Social Justice
Basic Income March planned on October 26 in New York City with satellite marches in Berlin and Amsterdam
On October 26th, 2019, people will be taking to the streets in New York City, Berlin, and Amsterdam to …
Universal Basic Income could break the cycle of violence
Whenever someone tells me if “poor” people had more money, we could stop the killings, I want to scream. …
Universal Basic Income could be a powerful way to recognize and enable civic engagement
“We’re seeing voter turnout decline across developed nations, in some of them really quite rapidly, says Daniel Park, who …
Fifty Years Later, Reflecting on the Defeat of Nixon’s Family Assistance Plan
Guest Editorial by Almaz Zelleke, Associate Professor of Practice in Political Science, NYU Shanghai Fifty years ago, on August …
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
Opinion: The biggest threat to freedom in the world today is economic destitution
Here political philosopher and economist Karl Widerquist argues that UBI is required as compensation for the creation of property …
UBI is Social Security for the 21st Century
It’s based on the dividends that accrue to Americans because of their everyday contributions as workers, consumers, caregivers and …
The documentary, ‘UBI, our right to live’, now available online
The film directed by Álvaro Orús and promoted by Pressenza and Humanists for Basic Income, was premiered at the …
Introducing the UBI Calculator Version 1.0
How will universal basic income impact you? Well, the answer to that question depends on the details of the …
Workforce Automation
American jobs are getting worse, new economic index shows
Although the U.S. is on a record streak for job-creation, many Americans still feel like they can’t get ahead …
Research shows that automation trends may be widening the racial wealth gap
Research shows that automation trends may be widening the racial wealth gap. This article reveals possible interventions that may …
Wages are flatlining as technology performs skilled labor, pushing workers into underemployment
Wages are flatlining because companies are scrapping swathes of mid-tier positions – replacing them with algorithms and cheap offshore …
The Rise of Robotic Process Automation: How Daniel Dines Of UiPath Became The First Bot Billionaire
The man who at once epitomizes the hottest new growth area in tech and the burgeoning hopes for entrepreneurship …