Scholar Success Stories: Student Makes a Case for Universal Basic Income
Over the past decade, several controversial and passionate conversations have emerged concerning cultural and societal ills facing communities around the globe. In America, popular issues like race and women’s rights dominate the conversation. However, the topic of class and wealth gaps is gaining momentum as the nation’s youngest generations are facing historic levels of income inequality.
Questions and debates about how to address these issues abound, and in 2020, American presidential hopeful Andrew Yang sparked a meaningful conversation by proposing a relatively simple answer: universal basic income (UBI). UBI, an idea that can be traced back to the 16th century, is the socialist concept that the government should provide all citizens with a regular stipend to combat poverty and systemic inequality.
It’s this hot-button issue that Student L, a 10th-grade Scholar Launch academic from New Jersey, tackled for his research practicum.
A Case for Universal Basic Income
Student L found himself drawn to various subjects, including political science, economics, history, psychology, and sociology. A perfect combination of interests for a student exploring income poverty, asset poverty, and other social and economic problems for which UBI could be a solution.
In his research paper, which was successfully published in the International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Student L proposed replacing the current welfare system with universal basic income for a multitude of reasons.
“In this paper,” he states, “I use the general equilibrium model to explain how data from developing nations demonstrate the great potential of UBI in the United States…The current welfare system in America is extremely expensive and ineffective. It has been more than 50 years since former President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced his Great Society programs to improve social welfare, and America has spent trillions of dollars in an attempt to benefit those who are most vulnerable in society.”
He goes on to criticize the disparities in the U.S. welfare system by highlighting how the poverty rate has increased by 2 percent since the programs were introduced and the 40.6 million Americans still living below the poverty line in 2016. He also introduced the topic of racial wealth disparity from a socioeconomic perspective, stating, “...blacks and Hispanics account for 44% of those living below the poverty line despite them only comprising 25% of the US population.”
After introducing and detailing the complex issues of wealth inequality and cyclical poverty in the states, he uses his extensive research to explain why UBI would resolve these pitfalls the current system creates. Student L’s professionalism and advanced intellect stood out during his research program, and his Faculty Advisor took notice. A professor at Duke University’s Department of Sociology, as well as Sanford’s School of Public Policy, L’s mentor was highly impressed by the 10th grader’s motivation and determination.
He even offered Student L a letter of recommendation for his future college applications, praising his efforts by saying, “[Student L] is among the most intelligent students I have met at his career stage. He is extremely hardworking and spends long hours teaching himself any skills he feels he lacks. He is very professional, mature, and motivated.”
Student L’s success so early in his high school career proves that thriving in an extracurricular, undergraduate research program isn’t a privilege reserved for seniors or college students. With enough dedication and hard work, 9th and 10th-grade scholars can wow college professors and secure academic rewards just like their older counterparts.
