Question

The City Gazette
Opinions
It’s Time for America to Adopt a Universal
Basic Income
By Dr. Benice Watkins, Professor of Economics at State
University
The past 150 years has seen significant changes. Advances in
technology have created new industries. It has also caused others to fade
into history. Web developers and computer programmers are in high demand
now. But once popular jobs, like farrier or cooper, have almost disappeared.
Technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence are taking
on more tasks that people perform now. As this happens, more Americans
might discover they are no longer needed at their workplace. This will clearly
have a devastating impact on these individuals’ finances. A universal basic
income could help soften the blow.
A universal basic income, or UBI, would be regular, modest payments
to all Americans over the age of 18. These payments would come from the
federal government. People can use the money however they want. They
could use the money to help pay their bills. Or they could use the money on
training for a new career. They might choose to save or invest the money.
People could even use the money to help fund a new business. Basically, UBI
would give Americans the resources they need to adapt to our ever-changing
economic environment.
Of course, this program must be funded. The United States already
has many programs meant to give money to citizens for various reasons. By
taking the money that goes to these programs and giving it to the UBI, the
program will gain much of the funding it needs. Doing this will also save the
federal government money. That’s because there will only be one aid
program to manage instead of many.
By providing a universal basic income, we would give Americans the
opportunity to change as the market changes. This will ensure that our
country’s economy remains strong, regardless of whatever shifts it might
encounter.

Now it's your turn...
Which of the following would have strengthen this argument?
A) statistics regarding jobs lost to advances in technology
B)
C)
data on the benefits to the general economy that result from rising
incomes
results of universal basic income programs that have already been
implemented
D) all of the above

Answer 1

D) all of the above.

- A would support the essay's key premise that technology is displacing workers.
- Evidence from existing UBI trials would show the policy can work in practice.
- Data on how rising incomes benefit the broader economy would back the claim that UBI strengthens the economy.