Basic income is not practical today, at least not in the political sense. The political climate is in no way configured to do so, and won't be for years.
The Democrats are never going to be okay with removing federal programs (even if basic income could cover several of them), and the Republicans won't touch something that would be seen by many as socialism.
I think proponents of BI are ignoring just how radical it is. Basic income is a massive change. It would more or less completely change our society (or require our society to completely change in order to even happen). Democrats and Republicans hardly work together on small issues today, what would cause them to work on something which threatens both parties in various ways?
> The Democrats are never going to be okay with removing federal programs (even if basic income could cover several of them), and the Republicans won't touch something that would be seen by many as socialism.
If the general public supports it strongly enough, then the entrenched political parties will either conform to the public demands or face a realignment which replaces them with political parties that do.
While the US electoral system is structured in a way that duopoly at any given time is essentially guaranteed, it does not guarantee that today's major parties will be tomorrow's. The US has for almost its entire history had two major parties, but major parties have failed several times.
You don't think millions of constituents would support the "Free $1000 Check Every Month" bill? Democrats get to claim a victory on income inequality, Republicans get a victory for cutting spending and government waste. It's the bureaucrats who administer these massive programs that would be the losers.
I doubt that "free $1000 check every month" would receive any more support than "free healthcare". And it will be even more complicated than the so-called ObamaCare by the time it gets to the ballot box.
I do think that millions of constituents would support the "Free $1000 Check Every Month" option on the ballot, but I don't think the option would ever get close to being on the ballot.
The Democrats are never going to be okay with removing federal programs (even if basic income could cover several of them), and the Republicans won't touch something that would be seen by many as socialism.
I think proponents of BI are ignoring just how radical it is. Basic income is a massive change. It would more or less completely change our society (or require our society to completely change in order to even happen). Democrats and Republicans hardly work together on small issues today, what would cause them to work on something which threatens both parties in various ways?