Author: Michael Anthony Lewis, PhD, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the importance of basic income(BI). As the nation, and much of the rest of the world, has moved into a period of physical distancing, the U.S. economy appears to be in free fall, with millions losing their jobs. This caused Congress and the President to rapidly enact a stimulus package which includes cash assistance, over and above the normal types of assistance provided by the U.S. welfare state, to a large proportion of the population. There’s an ongoing debate about whether this package left too many people out as well as whether it’s large enough.