Los Angeles Times

What would a universal basic income mean for America? Stockton thinks it has the answer

For the next several months, 130 residents of Stockton, CA will get $500 every month, with no strings — such as employment or sobriety requirements — attached as part of a universal basic income (UBI) experiment.

Researchers with the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) will track and analyze how UBI affects these individuals’ spending habits as well as factors like quality of life and financial stability.

“We have a real opportunity to rethink how we talk about the safety net, what it means to get by, and we want to take advantage of that,” said Amy Castro Baker, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, and one of the principal researchers. “I would argue that research is always informed by something that you would like to see happen or not happen in the world, and we are owning that.”

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