The Universal Basic Income Is The Safety Net Of The Future
Topics: Economics, Finance, Politics, U.S.
Public Release Date: March 22, 2017
Imagine getting a check from the government every month. $600 guaranteed. It’s happening in Finland, where a pilot program is being launched to test what’s known as a “universal basic income.” As technology transforms the workplace, jobs and income will become less reliable. The idea is that a universal basic income could serve as a tool to combat poverty and uncertainty in a changing society, and provide a cushion that empowers workers, giving them latitude to take risks in the job market. But some argue a guaranteed income would take away the incentive to work, waste money on those who don’t need it, and come at the expense of effective programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Is the universal basic income the safety net of the future?
ARGUING YES:
Charles Murray: W. H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute
Andrew Stern: Former President of Service Employees International Union, Senior Fellow at the Economic Security Project
ARGUING NO:
Jared Bernstein: Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Jason Furman: Former Chairman on the Council of Economic Advisers; Professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government
MODERATOR-IN-CHIEF:
John Donvan: Emmy award-winning journalist