The idea is related to universal basic income, popularized by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Whereas UBI involves regular payments to everyone regardless of income, Stockton’s experiment targets poor neighborhoods.
If implemented nationwide, guaranteed income along the Stockton model would represent a significant expansion of the safety net and one that isn’t conditional on working or looking for work. Food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, the earned-income tax credit and unemployment compensation all include some form of work requirement.
Stockton’s payments have helped people affected by the recession cover their bills, said Mr. Tubbs. More than half of the funds have been […]
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