Exploring Basic Income in a Changing Economy Teach-Out

Betsey Stevenson is an Associate Professor of public policy at the Ford School, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Economics. She is also a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research, a fellow of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich, and serves on the board of directors of the American Law and Economics Association. Betsey recently completed a two-year term as an appointed member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. She served as the chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor from 2010 to 2011. Stevenson is a labor economist whose research focuses on the impact of public policies on the labor market. Her research explores women's labor market experiences, the economic forces shaping the modern family, and the potential value of subjective well-being data for public policy.

In this segment you will hear Betsey speak about how a changing economy impacts the conversation about a basic income and how things like automation, the gig economy, and labor market participation are often points of discussion among those who think about basic income as a potential solution to poverty.

Reflection Questions

As we watch the video, let's think about the following:

• In a shifting economy in which automation is rapidly displacing workers, should we support policies that prioritize retraining those workers and placing them in new jobs? Why or why not?
• What part could a basic income play in assisting workers displaced by automation?