Guaranteed Income
Legacy safety net programs in the United States are inefficient and inadequate in supporting the financially insecure – a reality made painfully apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ample research has shown that unrestricted cash assistance can not only alleviate material hardship among the most vulnerable but also improve physical and mental wellbeing, child welfare, educational attainment, and more. Decades of advocacy and research into guaranteed income – whether a universal basic income or direct cash transfers through the tax system – offer a vision for a government whose support is more universal, less administratively burdensome, and more respectful of the dignity of ordinary people.
Since 2017, before the concept gained mainstream recognition, JFI has evaluated the feasibility of unconditional cash transfers and how they might be best situated among existing aspects of the social safety net in the United States & abroad. We have helped build guaranteed income pilots; conducted field evaluations on the efficacy and impact of cash programs, including the world’s largest in Maricá, Brazil; advised state and federal lawmakers on relevant legislative reforms, including the federal Child Tax Credit (CTC); and provided expert commentary to media and advocates on the state (and the future) of the field. Most recently, we have begun to sketch a vision for how the now myriad guaranteed income demonstrations can be translated into sustainable policy – and thereby help address our nation’s deepening inequality.
PARTNER WITH US
While JFI continues to share design and strategy expertise with pilots, we are increasingly focused on policy design: how cash transfers can make our social safety net work better for the working and middle classes, and what financing mechanisms can help sustain them. To that end, we provide policymakers (mayors, state legislators, economic development teams, etc.) and advocates with policy analysis, including microsimulations of proposed legislation and studies of interactions among existing programs. We are eager to partner with individuals or institutions to extend this work internationally – and to expand our field of study beyond traditional guaranteed income / UBI into other social programs (e.g. housing, healthcare) where the principles of unconditional cash may be beneficial.
PARTNERS
Guaranteed Income Tools & Resources
A collection of materials for practitioners and policymakers.
- Toolkit for creating a guaranteed income in your community: Our toolkit, published May 2021 and available here, provides a concrete starting point for anyone interested in supporting a guaranteed income for their community, particularly by launching a guaranteed income pilot. It begins by answering some of the key questions that arise in this undertaking, including what guaranteed income is, why it is gaining attention right now, what the open questions are that a pilot might answer, and what is involved in the creation of a local pilot.
- How to frame guaranteed income policy: a review of literature: This review of literature, published May 2021, covers a range of important guaranteed income messaging questions.
- Exploring a framework for federal policy: Find our white paper series, “From Idea to Reality: Getting to Guaranteed Income,” here. The series is an in depth examination into how to implement guaranteed income in the U.S.
- JFI Position on Guaranteed Income: Our research-informed guidance on basic parameters for guaranteed income.
Featured Partners
Research and Development for the Compton Pledge
We partnered with former Compton mayor Aja Brown and Fund for Guaranteed Income (F4GI) founder Nika Soon-Shiong on design, strategy, and research on this 800-recipient guaranteed income pilot in Compton, California.
Guaranteed Income Contributors
Ege Aksu
Fellow
Halah Ahmad
Vice President, PR & Policy Communications
Jack Landry
Research Associate
Johannes Haushofer
Senior Fellow
Leah Hamilton
Senior Fellow
Marcella Cartledge
Fellow
Roberta Costa
Research Manager
Sidhya Balakrishnan
Director of Research
Yunjie Xie
Fellow
Related Publication Series
Recent Updates
Research Briefing: Macroeconomic Effects of the Child Tax Credit
A brief overview of a JFI report that explores the macroeconomic effects of regular cash transfers, such as the new...
Analysis of Full Refundability of the Child Tax Credit Without Expansion
Recent reports indicate that the Build Back Better legislative package will allow the increased Child Tax Credit value to continue...
Part of the series Policy Microsimulations
Model Behavior: A Critical Review of Macroeconomic Models for Guaranteed Income and The Child Tax Credit
This third report in our “Getting to Guaranteed Income” series shares the lessons from six macroeconomic modeling analyses of the...
Part of the series From Idea to Reality: Getting to Guaranteed Income
New Release: A Critical Review of Macroeconomic Models for Guaranteed Income & The Child Tax Credit
Part of JFI’s white paper series on guaranteed income, the new report examines economy-wide impacts of these income support...
JFI’s Critical Review of Macroeconomic Models is covered in Insider
Alex Yablon: "Empirical research suggests government money doesn't discourage work"
Reducing Refundability of the Child Tax Credit: Assessing Poverty Impacts and Trade-offs
A microsimulation brief finding that proposals to limit the refundability of the Child Tax Credit would increase child poverty by 53...
Part of the series Policy Microsimulations
New Analysis: Assessing Non-filer Rates and Poverty Impacts for the Expanded CTC
The brief provides results of a range of scenarios for CTC take-up rates among eligible children, showing poverty reduction resulting...
New Analysis: Poverty Impacts of the ARPA’s Child Tax Credit Limited Without More Robust Enrollment of Non-filers
The brief provides results of a range of scenarios for CTC take-up rates among eligible children, showing poverty reduction depends...
Assessing Non-filer Rates & Poverty Impacts for the American Rescue Plan Act’s Expanded CTC
A microsimulation of child poverty impacts and analysis of how to reach eligible non-filers for maximum poverty impacts
Part of the series From Idea to Reality: Getting to Guaranteed Income
Part of the series Policy Microsimulations
JFI Position on Guaranteed Income, August 2021
A new position paper by JFI’s guaranteed income research team brings together years of policy research to define basic...
Part of the series From Idea to Reality: Getting to Guaranteed Income
Press Release: JFI Position on Guaranteed Income
A new position paper by JFI's guaranteed income research team draws on years of policy research to define basic parameters...
Cash Aid: Views from the Front Lines of the Pandemic
Hosted by JFI, the Urban Institute, and Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, this discussion highlights pain points and lessons from...
Opportunity in Crisis: New Polling on Public Opinion Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
The first of three polling briefs, "Opportunity in Crisis" is part of JFI's Messaging Guaranteed Income project
They Worked: Claudia Sahm on the effects of $1,400 relief payments on families and the economy
New survey data demonstrating how families made use of the third round of cash relief.
Part of the series From Idea to Reality: Getting to Guaranteed Income
New Research: Claudia Sahm assesses the effects of $1,400 stimulus checks
Sahm's new brief is "They Worked: The effects of $1,400 stimulus checks on families and the economy"
JFI Research featured in a New York Times editorial by Rashida Tlaib and Eduardo Suplicy
The editorial, published June 30, is titled "Prioritizing People to Build Back the Economy"
Paul Williams and James Medlock on paternalism, market failures, and welfare policy in the US
An argument worth examining for what it illuminates about the role of paternalism in safety net policy, and persistent misunderstandings...
Part of the series From Idea to Reality: Getting to Guaranteed Income
Position Paper: Paul Williams and James Medlock on paternalism, market failures, and US welfare policy
A new position post in JFI's "From Idea to Reality" series
International Perspectives in Basic Income Messaging – BIRAL Seminar
JFI is hosting the second Basic Income Research and Action Lab (BIRAL) seminar: “International Perspectives in Basic Income Messaging,” an...
Research Session: Perceptions of Guaranteed Income – New Polling
A look at early results from recent polling research on guaranteed income perceptions and messaging, featuring work from Leah Hamilton...
How to frame guaranteed income policy: a review of literature
Plentiful research and pilots have demonstrated the positive impacts of guaranteed income, but policy proposals require careful attention to framing...
Part of the series Messaging Guaranteed Income
Toolkit on guaranteed income in the U.S. for pilots, research
JFI released guaranteed income toolkit of collective best practices, pilot efforts & policy as cash initiatives continue to grow and policy...
Part of the series From Idea to Reality: Getting to Guaranteed Income
Part of the series Messaging Guaranteed Income
JFI speaks at Stanford Deliberative Polling & Korea Basic Income Fair events
JFI Lead Researcher on Guaranteed Income, Stephen Nuñez, spoke to the state of research in guaranteed income and UBI
New working paper polls guaranteed income support
Leah Hamilton, Appalachian State University Associate Professor and JFI Senior Fellow, released a working paper on support for guaranteed income...