Entrepreneur Andrew Yang is running for president in 2020 as a Democrat and the core of his platform definitely sets him apart from most politicians. Yang wants to implement Universal Basic Income (UBI), which would give every American $1,000 every month. On his campaign’s website Yang explains why he supports it:
As technology improves, workers will be able to stop doing the most dangerous, repetitive, and boring jobs. This should excite us, but if Americans have no source of income—no ability to pay for groceries, buy homes, save for education, or start families with confidence—then the future could be very dark. Our labor participation rate now is only 62.7% – lower than it has been in decades, with 1 out of 5 working-age men currently out of the workforce. This will get much worse as self-driving cars and other technologies come online.
Andrew’s version of UBI—funded by a simple Value Added Tax—would guarantee that all Americans benefit from automation, not just big companies. UBI would provide money to cover the basics for Americans while enabling us to look for a better job, start our own business, go back to school, take care of our loved ones or work towards our next opportunity.
Yang believes in UBI so much that he is literally going to put his money where his mouth is and give two Americans the opportunity to see what living with a UBI looks like, according to Motherboard.
In what will certainly be a beyond-crowded, chaos bomb of a race to win the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, one thing will separate Andrew Yang from the pack—he’ll be the only candidate to have paid two Americans $1,000 a month out of his own pocket, no questions asked, in a bid to illustrate the benefits of basic income policy.
Automation is coming for our jobs, the longshot candidate says—not five years from now, not tomorrow, but right now. Like a growing contingent of advocates, Yang thinks that the best way to buffer the incoming pain is by administering a universal basic income. Starting ASAP. So, Yang is announcing that he will personally give two Americans $1,000 a month, “free and clear,” for a year.
One of the recipients will be a resident of New Hampshire, which is where he’ll be next week. In preparation, he’s asking locals to nominate someone in their community to receive it.
Next week in New Hampshire, Yang will announce an initiative to give one citizen of the Live Free or Die state the monthly windfall. He’s asking citizens to nominate someone they know who could use the extra income, to offer a real-time test case of his central policy idea. Shortly after, he’ll repeat the process in Iowa (each are swing states, of course, and the first to vote in the primary process).
While Yang’s defense focuses on the impact of robot overlords on our jobs, it’s also a great way to address class and racial inequality. That’s why Yang isn’t the only politician who believes in the power of implementing UBI. Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs made headlines when he launched his initiative to give $500/month to some of the city’s poorest residents.