JAN 2020: Universal Basic Income
Current Research for Public Forum Debate Class…
TOPIC: Replacing Welfare with Universal Basic Income
Resolved: The United States should replace means-tested welfare programs with a universal basic income.
Shared Folder: PF Research Folder [2020-01-01] = Universal Basic Income.
BACKGROUND:
The Universal Basic Income is The Safety Net of the Future, (Intelligence Squared, March 22, 2017 [98 min]):
Imagine getting a check from the government every month. $600 guaranteed (or possibly $1,000 in the United States). It’s happening in Finland, where a pilot program is being launched to test what’s known as a “universal basic income.” As technology transforms the workplace, jobs and income will become less reliable. The idea is that a universal basic income could serve as a tool to combat poverty and uncertainty in a changing society and provide a cushion that empowers workers, giving them latitude to take risks in the job market. But some argue a guaranteed income would take away the incentive to work, waste money on those who don’t need it and come at the expense of effective programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Is the universal basic income the safety net of the future?
IMPORTANT: There are four distinguished experts debating both sides of the topic. This is powerful evidence for you to use in your own debates.
REQUIRED RESEARCH VIDEOS:
Universal Basic Income Explained – Free Money for Everybody? UBI,
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, December 7, 2017 [10 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl39KHS07Xc
Will the poor be better off? || Debate Clip || The UBI Is The Safety Net Of The Future,
Intelligence Squared, March 24, 2017 [5 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PD3YX0MQrg
Note: EITC is mentioned a few times… EITC = Earned Income Tax Credit, which means at the end of the year the government will give you a check paying the difference between what the person earned and what the poverty level is. If you make $15k/yr and poverty was $16.5k/yr, then you would get a check for around $1,500. These figures are made up, but the concept is hopefully more clear to you (without welfare, your EITC goes away!).
Universal basic income: The plan to give $12,000 to every American adult,
Andrew Yang, Big Think, March 27, 2019 [5 min]
https://bigthink.com/videos/universal-basic-income
[OPTIONAL] Why everyone is talking about free cash handouts: An explainer on Universal Basic Income,
CNBC News, June 27, 2019 [12 min]
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/27/free-cash-handouts-what-is-universal-basic-income-or-ubi.html
IMPORTANT: This video should be considered \”required,\” because it is GREAT; includes rebuttals too!
REQUIRED RESEARCH ARTICLES:
Why Welfare Doesn’t Work: And What We Should Do Instead,
Basic Income European Network, June 20, 2018
https://basicincome.org/news/2018/06/why-welfare-doesnt-work-and-what-we-should-do-instead/
NOTE: The author\’s expertise is too significant to ignore; the fact that the site is pro-UBI doesn\’t make it unreliable.
US Welfare Programs, the Myths Versus the Facts,
The Balance, December 21, 2019
https://www.thebalance.com/welfare-programs-definition-and-list-3305759
[Video is \”Optional\”] What is a universal basic income? Here are the basics,
CBS News, August 1, 2019 [10 min]
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-universal-basic-income-ubi/
NOTE: Please consider watching the video as well; he is the reason we\’re debating UBI!!!
Universal Basic Income – Top 3 Pros and Cons,
Procon.org, September 18, 2017
https://www.procon.org/headline.php?headlineID=005363
FYI: We will be researching these ideas, but we will not be writing any evidence with pro-con.org as a source! ty.
OPTIONAL PROS & CONS Articles:
Universal Basic Income, Its Pros and Cons With Examples,
The Balance, December 13, 2019
https://www.thebalance.com/universal-basic-income-4160668
17 Huge Advantages and Disadvantages of Welfare,
Connect U.S., May 27, 2019
https://connectusfund.org/17-huge-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-welfare
20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Welfare,
Future of Working (Leadership Blog), September 30, 2019
https://futureofworking.com/6-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-welfare/
OPTIONAL RESEARCH ARTICLES/VIDEOS:
[VIDEO] The Universal Basic Income is The Safety Net of the Future,
Intelligence Squared, March 22, 2017 [98 min]
https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/universal-basic-income-safety-net-future
Note: Imagine getting a check from the government every month. $600 guaranteed. It’s happening in Finland, where a pilot program is being launched to test what’s known as a “universal basic income.” As technology transforms the workplace, jobs and income will become less reliable. The idea is that a universal basic income could serve as a tool to combat poverty and uncertainty in a changing society and provide a cushion that empowers workers, giving them latitude to take risks in the job market. But some argue a guaranteed income would take away the incentive to work, waste money on those who don’t need it and come at the expense of effective programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Is the universal basic income the safety net of the future?
IMPORTANT: There is a transcript on the page that will follow the speakers and allows you to copy-paste what is being said in the video – very nice quality!!
[VIDEO] Basic Income: An Idea Whose Time Has Come,
Dr. James Mulvale, TED Talk, April 19, 2016 [17 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBWsmoy5Re4
Note: By providing an economic floor for everyone in Canada, basic or guaranteed income would simplify and streamline our income security system, lower rates of poverty and inequality, and would enable us to advance environmental sustainability in the context of a steady-state economy. Dr. Mulvale worked in community development in social agencies in southern Ontario for a number of years. In 1999, he joined the University of Regina as a professor and came to the University of Manitoba in 2013 as Dean of Social Work. His topic of basic (or guaranteed) income is a social policy idea that has been debated for decades in Canada and has recently been very much in the political spotlight.
Universal Basic Income–For or Against? A Debate,
Dartmouth College, November 6, 2019 [90 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDNKo0tcH-I
NOTE: Top experts with ivy league education and tremendous subject knowledge.
[VIDEO] What is a universal basic income? Here are the basics,
CBS News, August 1, 2019 [10 min]
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-universal-basic-income-ubi/
NOTE: Please read and watch the article/video as well; he is the reason we\’re debating UBI!!!
Encouraging Work Lifts People Out of Poverty. The Green New Deal Won’t Do That.,
Robert Rector, Senior Research Fellow, Heritage Foundation, April 2, 2019
https://www.heritage.org/welfare/commentary/encouraging-work-lifts-people-out-poverty-the-green-new-deal-wont-do
Note: Dr. Rector, is a leading authority on poverty, and welfare programs in the United States.
‘Self-Sufficiency, Not a Sinkhole’: JOBS Act Updates Work Requirements for Welfare Recipients,
Daily Signal, March 14, 2019
https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/03/14/self-sufficiency-not-a-sinkhole-jobs-act-updates-work-requirements-for-welfare-recipients/
…
CONTACT INFORMATION (Coach Bill):
Bill Eddy,
coachbill@magnetacademy.com
714.655.8135 (I prefer text)
When contacting me, please include your name and class information (day/time). Thanks!