On the Economics of a Universal Basic Income

As automation and technology raise concerns about job losses, some economists and governments have floated the idea of a universal basic income (UBI) as a mechanism for ensuring citizens a minimal level of financial support. Under a UBI system, everyone receives unconditional lifetime cash payments that substitute for other forms of public aid. One of the best features of a UBI, according to Professor Thomas Straubhaar in his clearly argued essay, is its blindness to economic circumstance and judgment. getAbstract recommends his enlightening, albeit somewhat overly sanguine, report to those interested in the nexus between economics and social policy.