Universal Basic Income (“UBI”) is a social welfare program that has grown in popularity in recent years. Several trials have shown that UBI can increase the overall wealth and health of individuals. While several questions surround the implementation of UBI, this Note will focus on who should receive UBI and whether it should truly be “universal”. This Note argues for a residency-based UBI over a citizenship-based UBI. The line between U.S. permanent resident status and U.S. citizenship status creates a difference in available rights and benefits among individuals. Long-term Permanent  Residents (“LPR’s”) do not receive the same rights and social welfare bene fits as do U.S. Citizens. This legal distinction leads to taxation without representation and the perpetuation of the wealth gap between LPR’s and U.S. Citizens. Using neoclassical models of migration, this Note shows that UBI being available to LPR’s instead of only citizens would not have a significant effect on international migration patterns. This Note also argues against the welfare magnet hypothesis and instead introduces other soft factors that may be a factor in whether someone decides to migrate.  

Continue Reading Making ‘Universal Basic Income’ Universal: An Argument for Residency Based UBI over Citizenship Based UBI