Discover the history of Universal Basic Income in the United States of America.
A timeline by the Gerald Huff Fund For Humanity
by SCOTT SANTENS & GISELE HUFF
A Timeline of Basic Income Projects in the United States
3
Types of
UBI
Projects
- Universal – automatically available to everyone in the cohort
- Unconditional – no compliance required but targeted/means tested
- Conditional – means tested
The New Jersey Income Maintenance Experiment
The New Jersey Income Maintenance Experiment had a sample size of 1,357 households, consisting of low-income couples from declining urban areas. Conditional.
The Rural Income Maintenance Experiments
The Rural Income Maintenance Experiments in North Carolina and Iowa included 809 low-income rural families. Conditional.
The Gary, Indiana Experiment
The Gary, Indiana Experiment was composed of 1,780 black households, 59% of which were headed by single females. Conditional.
Seattle and Denver Income Maintenance Experiments
Seattle and Denver Income Maintenance Experiments included 4,800 families. It not only offered recipients more generous plans that the other experiments but also extended the duration from three to five years for a quarter of the participants. Conditional.
The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend
The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend distributes a share of the state’s oil revenues, typically between $1000 and $2000 per year to each of the state residents, including children. Universal.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Casino
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opened a casino and shared a part of the profits with every member of the tribe, some 15,000 people. The first stipend was $595 and has grown to $12,000 by 2011. Universal.
The Sherman County Experiment
Every head of household who has lived in the county at least a year now receives $590 annually, generated from real estate taxes collected from the big wind generators. Universal.
Dolly Parton UBI in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
My People Fund checks would be given with absolutely no directives regarding how to spend the cash. And every household deemed eligible would receive the exact same amount: $6,000. Universal.
The Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED)
The Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) gives 125 residents an unconditional basic income of $500 per month. Research will focus on a variety of outcomes, including financial security, civic engagement, health and wellness. Unconditional.
Springboard to Opportunity project in Jackson, Mississippi
Springboard to Opportunity project in Jackson, Mississippi gives 20 African American single mothers living in public housing $1,000 each month for a year. Unconditional.
Santa Clara County UBI for Transitioning Foster Youth
Santa Clara County UBI for transitioning foster youth was approved by the Board of Supervisors and will be launched this summer. Unconditional.
Privately funded experiment
This is a privately funded experiment that includes 21 recipients of UBI over a period of two years as participants in a docu-series that follows the effect this has on their lives.
Y Combinator Research Randomized Controlled Basic Income Trial
The Silicon Valley research firm proposes to compare a group of people who receive a basic income to an otherwise identical group of people who do not. In this way, the effects of a basic income can be isolated and quantified. The research will randomly select individuals across two US states to participate in the study. Roughly half will receive $1,000 a month for up to five years; the rest will serve as a control group for comparison.
Looking to create a new Universal Basic Income pilot?
Access this toolkit on guaranteed income in the U.S. for pilots by the Jain Family Institute.
Scott Santens
EDITOR, BIT
Writer and unconditional basic income advocate who believes our civilization is better than this.
