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
In the United States, there aren’t enough hours in the week to make rent
Article originally published April 12, 2019. The mayor of Brisbane, a small city squeezed between San Francisco and Silicon …
Study: 79% of parents are providing on average $7,000 of financial support to their adult children at a cost of $500 billion per year
Article originally published on Oct 2, 2018. Many millennials are having a tough time financially launching their adult lives …
One in Six British Workers Have Too Much Education for Their Job
Millions of British workers are overqualified for their jobs, according to figures published Monday. Sixteen percent of 16-to-64-year-olds in …
Universal basic income vs jobs guarantees: which one will make us happier?
Two competing (or, possibly, complementary?) proposals for resolving income inequality and the hole that four decades of demand-side Reaganomics …
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
“We’re riding a century-old measurement off a cliff”
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang says the main way of measuring economic growth — known as gross domestic product …
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 …
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
Economic analysis of Canada’s child benefit cash allowance bolsters case for universal basic income
The Canada Child Benefit has not only lifted kids out of poverty, but it has boosted the country’s economy …
Mississippi program providing low-income mothers $1000 a month of basic income demonstrates its potential
JACKSON, Miss. — Cheryl Gray had sat through so many presentations about programs to lift herself out of poverty …
Sherman County, Oregon has used wind power to provide a $590 dividend per household every year since 2002
For a region that’s blessed with bountiful natural resources, the Pacific Northwest has largely missed the boat. We’re not …
A solution for childhood obesity? Universal basic income
First published on May 31, 2019 A new study links an extra $1,000 a year paid through Alaska’s Permanent …
The Basics of UBI
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 …
Andrew Yang and the Yang Gang echoes Francis Townsend and the Townsend Clubs during the Great Depression
Entrepreneur and political novice Andrew Yang is hoping a wild gambit will help him win the Democratic presidential nomination: …
The crazy, true story of Nixon and basic income
Tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are talking up the idea of a universal basic income. But …
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 …
Workforce Automation
The Impact of Robots on the U.S. Labor Market
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 The following post is the second in a two-part series on the impact of robots …
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 …