As we head deeper into this election year, the big issue that is up for debate among politicians is income inequality. In order to combat that, Democrats would like raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, or in some cases $15 an hour. Republicans (and some Democrats) meanwhile are opposed to the idea saying that it would hurt businesses or raise the white flag of surrender (whatever that means).
There's no doubt that raising the minimum wage is popular. A Washington Post poll found that 85% of Democrats and 65% of Independents support raising the minimum wage, while Republicans are split 50-45 on the issue. This issue, if put on the ballot would help turn out young people and minorities in November, which are key demographics for Democrats.
But while this issue is popular, should Progressives be fighting for more? Specifically, should Progressives be pushing politicians to consider a Universal Basic Income? This idea has gained more attention recently as activists in Switzerland recently collected enough signatures to put the idea on the ballot in their country, and if it passes it could be a model for all other countries to follow.
The idea is simple: a guaranteed income for all American citizens, that are currently not in prison and are 18 or older, and it would be paid to citizens regardless of their income or employment status. The amount paid to Americans is open for debate but a Universal Basic Income (or UBI) of $2900 (or $241 a month) would immediately cut the poverty rate in half while also being low enough to keep most people from quitting their jobs simply to live off a UBI.
A UBI could be paid for through a series of spending cuts in things like military and welfare programs (the latter of which Americans would need less of as a UBI would push many of them out of poverty), eliminating some tax deductions (most Americans would benefit more from a UBI than a home mortgage interest income deduction, for example), and raising taxes on capital gains.
A UBI has been supported by those on the right including Milton Friedman, as well as those on the left such as Martin Luther King, and even libertarians such as Charles Murray.
Not only would a UBI be more cost-effective (you hear that conservatives?) than all of the programs we have in place now, but it could have the added benefit of reducing crime, poverty, and simply giving Americans a better piece of mind overall.
Robert Reich once said that Progressives must make Democrats listen to them by speaking up and not simply being submissive to the establishment and centrist wings of the party. If we started speaking up, couldn't a Universal Basic Income be a great idea for them to hear?