The history of universal basic income: The concept of UBI has been debated for centuries

• The concept of universal basic income has a long history.
• Figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Richard Nixon supported versions of UBI.
• Now, the US and other countries have experimented with active basic income programs.

Over the last few years, as average Americans have wrestled with a growing wealth gap and rising prices, policymakers have been tossing around an audacious idea: What if we just give people money to help them?

The concept of a universal basic income is pretty simple. To help support a population, the government gives it no-strings-attached funds to bolster their finances.

Despite vigorous debate over UBI, some American cities and counties are now experimenting with guaranteed basic income, a pared-down version of UBI in which a subset of the population receives funds for a limited time period, usually about 12 to 18 months.

In the cities and US states that have tried basic income programs, recipients have said it helped them secure better housing and jobs, improved their food security, and ultimately live healthier lives.

A basic income, whether guaranteed or universal, may seem like a revolutionary concept, but it's actually been debated in American politics for centuries, dating back to the nation's founding.

A concept as old as the nation itself

In the 1790s, Thomas Paine, one of the country's Founding Fathers, argued in favor of multiple lump sum payments similar to a modern UBI. One of the payments would have been dispersed when a person reached adulthood, paid for with funds from property taxes.

In his pamphlet called "Agrarian Justice," Paine said people were owed this money because private land ownership prevented them from hunting and farming freely. Paine suggested another series of payments for people at retirement age.

One of Paine's contemporaries, Thomas Spence, an English activist in the mid-19th century, called for payments that mirrored the modern idea of UBI much more directly: He suggested higher property taxes to support an unconditional cash income for the entire population.

It took centuries, but Paine's and Spence's ideas hit the mainstream in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Richard Nixon supported a basic income

Martin Luther King Jr. promoted a basic income in the 1960s as a form of economic equality, noting that poverty impacts both white and Black Americans.

"I am now convinced that the simplest approach will prove to be the most effective — the solution to poverty is to abolish it directly by a now widely discussed measure: the guaranteed income," King wrote in his 1967 book, "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?"

Two years later, President Richard Nixon issued a similar proclamation with some caveats that reflect modern-day objections, like the idea that direct cash payments will discourage recipients from working. He called it a "Family Assistance Plan."

"For a family of four now on welfare, with no outside income, the basic federal payment would be $1,600 a year," Nixon said. "A guaranteed income would undermine the incentive to work; the family assistance plan that I propose increases the incentive to work. A guaranteed income establishes a right without any responsibilities; family assistance recognizes a need and establishes a responsibility."

Despite years of advocacy, Congress never passed Nixon's plan. Instead, conservatives like President Ronald Reagan ushered in a new era of anti-welfare sentiment, though UBI and welfare differ in many ways.

That didn't stop states and cities from trying, however.

Another program launched in the 1970s that shares the spirit of universal basic income is the Alaska Permanent Fund, which distributes lump sums of money to residents as annual dividends depending on the state's oil revenue.

While American politicians and public figures have scratched their heads on whether and how to implement basic income in the United States in modern times, other countries have made it work at varying scales.

A number of countries have tried basic income programs. For instance, Canada launched a basic income experiment about 50 years ago that continues today. It helps youth transitioning out of foster care. Nations such as Finland, Italy, and Uganda, among others, have also implemented pilot programs in the past.

Modern iterations of UBI

Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur, revived the debate around a universal basic income when he ran for president in 2020. He proposed giving every adult $1,000 a month as part of what he called a "Freedom Dividend." Yang's candidacy ultimately fizzled, along with the basic income debate.

After the success of pandemic-era stimulus checks, however, as well as interest from Silicon Valley leaders like Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman — who worry AI could make UBI necessary if humans lose their jobs en masse — basic income experiments are now popping up around the country.

The Stanford Basic Income Lab says the United States now has the most active basic income programs in the world. The programs vary in scale, targeting hundreds to thousands of people. Altman backed one of the largest basic income programs ever. It spanned three states and targeted 3,000 people.

More localized programs have also seen success. A Birmingham basic income program helped single mothers afford childcare, for instance, and a similar basic income program in New Mexico helped immigrant families pay their rent and secure work. A program in Los Angeles prompted local officials to try a basic income program for survivors of domestic violence.

Basic income has also been on political ballots. A recent basic income proposal in Oregon would have given all state residents a $1,600 annual rebate by implementing a 3% tax on corporations in the state once they hit a certain revenue threshold. The opposition effort raised millions to fight the ballot measure, which was ultimately defeated in the November election.

"Oregonians overwhelmingly believe that corporations should start paying their fair share in taxes and that today's economy is rigged against us," the organizers behind the proposal said after its election defeat. "We will continue to fight for a fairer and more just economy for Oregon."

While interest in a basic income is growing, so is political opposition. There have been legal challenges to basic income programs in Houston and San Francisco and legislation introduced in Iowa and elsewhere that would prevent local governments from launching basic income studies.

And as President Donald Trump's administration looks to reduce government spending, the possibility of a federal universal basic income is likely on hold.