universal basic income
A political program in which all adults are given a fixed amount of money on a regular schedule, no questions asked. Sometimes considered "a capitalist system where income does not start at zero."
It is also a way to provide the same or similar benefits as government unemployment programs with vastly lower administrative cost, and helps legitimize forms of traditionally unpaid labor, like childcare and homemaking.
A basic income guarantee would also support more diversity in the economy and arts, by making possible entrepreneurship and artistic endeavors as viable career paths for many demographics and minority groups. They would otherwise have to seek out traditional employment to meet their basic needs. Since minorities already suffer a wage and education gap, these jobs force them to be overworked and underpaid, leaving little to no time to pursue creative work.
The high nominal cost of this one-time policy has sparked concern that extending it beyond this fiscal year would be too expensive, but research has shown that these expansions in transfers are self-financing to a significant extent. By leading to lower crime, better health and better outcomes for children in the long-term, cash transfers practically “pay for themselves” by reducing future government spending in areas like incarceration and healthcare.