Universal Basic Income and the Pandemic Income Crisis

Until recently, the big argument for universal basic income used to be that it would reduce income inequality. Nobody took it seriously.

Pennsylvania Avenue, normally filled with commuters during morning rush hour, is shown nearly empty due to the impacts of coronavirus in Washington on March 19, 2020. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Commentary

During his “barely there” 2020 presidential campaign, Andrew Yang observed that automation is and will continue to replace workers and is why we need Universal Basic Income (UBI) in America. Critics pointed out that its other purpose of reducing income inequality won’t work.