The Proposal
Create a central account that pays out equally to every American citizen on a monthly basis. The initial target is $25,000 per person per year in today's dollars. Grow it from there.

Where did this idea come from?
The $25,000/year stipend for every American citizen was originally proposed in the article Robotic Freedom. This stipend is vital because, in the coming years, robots will begin moving into the job market in massive numbers, eliminating millions of jobs. The $25,000/year stipend is a way to provide economic security to every American citizen during this massive economic transition. It will also prevent a large-scale rescession that will damage the economy as a whole.

Where will the money come from?
The money for the central account can come from dozens of sources. Primarily, we will gather the money 1) from the huge productivity increases supplied by the robots, and 2) from the massive concentration of wealth that the robots and automation are causing. See this book for a description of where robotic productivity and the concentration of wealth are taking us today. This proposal is one way to make sure that the benefits of the robotic nation are distributed to everyone equally.

Do systems like this already exist?
Yes. The Alaska Permanent Fund came from the wealth of the oil deposits in Alaska. Last year, every man, woman and child in Alaska got a check for $1,500 from the state simply for being residents. This system exists, it works, and it provides a major economic benefit to the citizens of Alaska.

What can I do to help make $25,000/year a reality?
It's simple: Talk about it! Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. about the $25,000 per year stipend for every citizen. Ask them to tell their friends, and so on. If millions of people understand 1) why the $25,000/year stipend is important and 2) the major benefits that the $25,000/year stipend would create for everyone, then this system will get created. Everyone will benefit -- employees and businesses both.

Think about the things that you, personally, would do differently in your life if you (or you and your spouse together) were no longer forced to work 50 or 60 hours a week to make ends meet.

If you are unemployed right now, think about the huge difference that a $25,000/year stipend would make to your chances of survival in this economy.

Chances are that your life would change dramatically.

The most important difference will be the elimination of your personal economic vulnerability. In today's economy, if you lose your job and are unable to find another job fast enough, you end up bankrupt and/or homeless. Do you want to continue living with that level of vulnerability for the rest of your life? Your family, your home, your livelihood all hang in the balance.

The second difference is that, for the first time in American history, every citizen of the United States will have some level of economic independence.

The third difference will be the opportunity that $25,000 per year will give you.

• If you want to go to college, you will have the opportunity to go at any point in your life. This will help you retrain for new careers, and also unlock many people from life-long economic strata.
• If you want to start a business, change careers, or simply take time off to be with the family, you will have the opportunity to do that.