In recent years, political actors from a wide variety of backgrounds have begun to advocate for an unconditional basic income (UBI). The core idea is simple: the state would give all citizens or lawful residents regular cash grants without work requirements or means tests. I find the idea appealing, all else being equal, since it could help alleviate or even end dire poverty. But I believe any path to a progressive UBI must run through labor law reforms such as higher minimum wages and stronger collective bargaining rights. In this post, I explain why.
