A Window of Opportunity to Frame the Guaranteed Income Narrative
Overview
This report explores public perceptions of guaranteed income programs and identifies key strategies for framing the narrative to build broader support. Drawing on extensive research and public opinion data, it provides insights into effective messaging that resonates across diverse communities and political perspectives.
Key Findings
Public support for guaranteed income grows when it is framed as a solution to economic instability and systemic inequities.
Narratives that emphasize dignity, opportunity, and shared prosperity are more effective than those focused on poverty or need.
Countering misinformation about guaranteed income programs is critical to sustaining public trust and support.
Implications for Policy and Practice
Policymakers and advocates should craft narratives that highlight how guaranteed income fosters economic security and opportunity for all.
Communications strategies should center stories of lived experiences and emphasize the shared benefits of economic stability for communities.
Strengthening partnerships with community organizations can amplify positive messaging and address misconceptions about guaranteed income policies.
Related Evidence
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Published June 1, 2025View Evidence
This report explores public banking as a critical tool for advancing a rights-based economy grounded in racial justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and environmental sustainability. The authors argue that public banks, when governed by democratic principles and equity-centered mandates, can challenge the extractive logic of private finance and help meet collective needs.
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Published June 1, 2025View Evidence
This report argues for the integration of guaranteed income (GI) policies with public banking initiatives to create a more effective and equitable system for cash transfers in the United States. It highlights the limitations of the existing private financial infrastructure in distributing pandemic-era relief funds and proposes public banking as a solution to ensure timely, low-cost, and secure disbursements of guaranteed income payments.
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Published September 24, 2024View Evidence
This policy brief describes how local policymakers can design and implement guaranteed income pilot programs to combat poverty, address income disparities, and improve community health and well-being.
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Published September 24, 2024View Evidence
This case study examines Rise Up Cambridge, a guaranteed income pilot program for low-income families implemented by the City of Cambridge in partnership with Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee and the Cambridge Community Foundation and funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act fiscal recovery funds.
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Published September 24, 2024View Evidence
This case study examines the Denver Basic Income Project, a pilot initiative supported by the City of Denver using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds that provides direct, unconditional cash payments to unhoused people.
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Published September 24, 2024View Evidence
This case study examines the Multnomah Mother’s Trust, a guaranteed income pilot program funded by Multnomah County’s using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds that provided $500 in monthly direct cash assistance to 100 Black mothers living in Multnomah County, Oregon over a 24-month period from May 2022 through June 2024.
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Published April 5, 2024View Evidence
Researchers at the New School propose a new nationwide direct cash payments program that would automatically kick in when economic indicators point to a recession and phase out when the national unemployment rate begins to decline.