Featured in Issues & Controversies:
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME: Should the U.S. Government Guarantee Every American a Minimum Income?
SUPPORTERS ARGUE
A universal basic income (UBI) would lift millions of Americans out of poverty and provide a financial safety net as advances in artificial intelligence make traditional jobs obsolete. A UBI would provide struggling Americans with the dignity and stability that the current welfare system has failed to provide.
OPPONENTS ARGUE
A universal basic income would be prohibitively expensive and would encourage many Americans to leave the workforce. Handing people money for nothing undermines the country’s spirit of industriousness. Other policies—like a government jobs program or a higher minimum wage—would more effectively help the poor.
Let your students review the facts and decide for themselves: Should the U.S. government guarantee every American a minimum income? Be sure to check out Issues & Controversies’ complete and unbiased coverage of this divisive issue. Enhance the debate with the discussion questions, “By the Numbers” data, primary sources, video content, infographics, editorials, and newsfeed that are linked to the article.
Click on the links below for more information about Issues & Controversies:
