These studies don't really prove anything.
Common arguments in favor of these studies -
"They prove people don't quit work on UBI!"
- No, they prove that people who are in a program that is very clearly temporary will not end their careers for a short pilot program. This means nothing.
"They prove people won't spend it on drugs, booze, and lotto tickets!"
- No. If you make $1k from a job and $1k from a pilot program each month, you spend the $1k from the pilot on legitimate bills and now you have $1k to spend however you like. The study can't trace that money. (This isn't to say everyone on UBI uses it for drugs, rather, it's to point out that you cannot deduce they don't just by tracing the way the transfer payments are spent)
"The studies prove people's life and happiness improved because of UBI!"
- No kidding. You gave someone several thousand dollars no strings attached in a situation where neither taxes nor inflation would rise as a result.
What UBI skeptical people want to know is where is the proof that we can afford to tax ourselves to pay ourselves, where is the proof that it won't hurt long term productivity, and where is the proof that it doesn't cause inflation. A 120 person 36 month trial program cannot answer any of these questions.
Common arguments in favor of these studies -
"They prove people don't quit work on UBI!"
- No, they prove that people who are in a program that is very clearly temporary will not end their careers for a short pilot program. This means nothing.
"They prove people won't spend it on drugs, booze, and lotto tickets!"
- No. If you make $1k from a job and $1k from a pilot program each month, you spend the $1k from the pilot on legitimate bills and now you have $1k to spend however you like. The study can't trace that money. (This isn't to say everyone on UBI uses it for drugs, rather, it's to point out that you cannot deduce they don't just by tracing the way the transfer payments are spent)
"The studies prove people's life and happiness improved because of UBI!"
- No kidding. You gave someone several thousand dollars no strings attached in a situation where neither taxes nor inflation would rise as a result.
What UBI skeptical people want to know is where is the proof that we can afford to tax ourselves to pay ourselves, where is the proof that it won't hurt long term productivity, and where is the proof that it doesn't cause inflation. A 120 person 36 month trial program cannot answer any of these questions.