Universal Basic Income in the United States and Advanced Countries—Hoynes 2019

We discuss UBIs in developed countries. Advanced economies have well-developed, if incomplete, safety nets, unlike developing countries. We develop a flexible framework for describing transfer programs that includes UBIs and most existing programs. We use this framework to compare UBIs to the existing constellation of programs in the U.S. A UBI would direct more transfers to childless, non-elderly, non-disabled households than existing programs, and to middle-income rather than poor households. An expensive UBI would boost transfers to low-income families. We review labor supply literature for UBI impacts. We argue that UBI pilot studies won't answer many questions.

Hoynes, H., & Rothstein, J. (2019). Universal basic income in the United States and advanced countries. Annual Review of Economics, 11(1), 929–958. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-080218-030237