“People Nowadays Will Take Everything They Can Get”: American Perceptions of Basic Income Usage

Abstract

Universal basic income (UBI) is a centuries-old policy proposal in which every citizen is granted a regular cash payment to provide basic security. One defining concept of a UBI is that it is unconditional, unlike most modern social welfare programs. While decades of pilot data suggest UBI to be superior to traditional means tested assistance, public support is divided and heavily based on stereotypes of dependency and negative consumption effects. A mixed-method research design was utilized to explore the projected behavioral response to UBI of current and former recipients of traditional assistance, in regard to themselves and others. Responses indicate that the majority of participants would not alter their current work arrangements and would rather plan for future financial stability while assuming that other Americans would quit working and spend the money irresponsibly. These results suggest that even among welfare recipients, neoliberal and conservative narratives of dependency and irrationality persist.