The Current Status and Issues of the U.S. Universal Basic Income (UBI) Policy

Abstract

In the United States, discussions are going strong as to what social changes would come of the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, where basic income has figured as a center of attention in relation to the reconceptualization of labor and wages. This article examines the development and current status of the discussion of income debate in the United States. Basic income, as it conceptually comprises multiple institutional features and implementation modes, can be implemented in various forms of policy. To better understand the policy implications of basic income in the United States, this article examines basic income both in its historical context and in the current form of its implementation and examines the political movements that are underway in relation to basic income amid the changing public opinion and social environment following the COVID-19 pandemic.