Stockton California is getting ready to experiment with Universal Basic Income.
The plan is to give several dozen families $500 dollars a month for a year as part of a program to study the economic and social impacts of giving people a stipend--no strings attached.
The SEED project, funded by a million dollar grant from a tech group called the Economic Security Project, will track what people do with the money and how having a universal basic income affects their self esteem and identity.
Stockton's Mayor, Michael Tubbs, is coordinating the effort.
After declaring bankruptcy in 2012, Stockton has been working hard to help its citizens. 1 in 4 live below the poverty line.
The idea of a universal basic incomes has been getting more and more attention of late, though there's considerable concern about creating an expanded welfare state.