All are welcome to join the discussion as the 4th Principle Dialogue Group talks about universal basic income (UBI). Here’s some information about the proposal for you to think about. As always, homework is optional.

Universal Basic Income has the following key characteristics:

• Every person in the designated group receives it, regardless of their wealth or employment status.
• Unconditional: There are no work requirements, behavior rules, or means tests (income checks) attached to the payments.
• Regular Cash Payments: It is distributed consistently (such as monthly or yearly) in cash rather than restricted vouchers.

It is a term gaining in popularity - thanks in part to being the entire campaign platform of 2016 Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang [interview]. 

Some argue that by some measure we already have some sort of punitive hoop-jumping cliff-based UBI due to numerous hodgepodge of state and federal programs, such as SNAP, General Assistance, and Social Security Disability Insurance (Social Security for folks aged 18-64). 

Questions:

• What unintended consequences do you think might fall out of such a policy?
• What about inflation? Will landlords just absorb it?
• Is work about more than just money? If UBI lets people drop out, are we solving poverty while making isolation and despair worse?
• How does this relate to social security and the history of the creation of that program?
• Where will we get the money? Which, if any, social aid program will be able to retire.
• Is it just a pacifier? Will the source of this money dictate how we live our lives.
• What do you see as the tradeoffs of means-testing aid?

Other resources for those who are curious: 

• Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2024 
• Freakonomics Radio, Is the World Ready for a Guaranteed Basic Income? 
• Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, The Future of Jobs and the Question of Basic Income 
• Movie: I, Daniel Blake

We hope you can join us!



The 4th Principle Dialogue Group promotes the “free & responsible search for truth & meaning,” pursuing the congregational goal of Connected Community. We get to know each other and connect to each other through meaningful, open-hearted dialogue. Drop-ins welcome. Homework not required. See more on UU Connect.