Common Ground
Here’s How to Create a Social Safety Net With Bipartisan Support
Historically, the idea of just giving people cash has found proponents across the political spectrum. Could it happen again?
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Common Ground, a new series, explores two sides of a contentious issue and finds an elegant compromise.
The idea is radical in its simplicity: Give people regular cash payments to help them meet their basic needs, with no strings attached. It’s a quick—albeit costly—way to fill gaps in the social safety net, and it’s the premise behind universal basic income, more commonly known as UBI.