At the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, governments have struggled to address both the healthcare crisis and rapidly devolving economic conditions. These events have pushed governments to consider large economic relief programs. In the United States, congress approved an over $2 trillion relief package to combat the devastating economic decline. However, most families spent their one‐time cash payment on rent and food during the month it was provided. This left many to face uncertain futures as their ability to earn an income diminished and the promise of additional relief waned. Universal basic income (UBI) is one program which provides a regular disbursement to individuals without means testing or other action on the part of recipient (Van Parijs, 2013). The program is one potential tool for combating recession, mass unemployment, and wide‐spread business closures. Within the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, this article discusses the use of UBI to meet these challenging circumstances. Given the depth of the economic issues, UBI may be suited to address these challenges as opposed to, or in conjunction with, other relief measures. Discussion is focused on how UBI may serve as a public policy response to the COVID‐19 pandemic and its implications.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 大流行：是时候实现全民基本收入了吗？

在 COVID-19 大流行开始时，各国政府一直在努力解决医疗危机和迅速恶化的经济状况。这些事件促使政府考虑大规模的经济救济计划。在美国，国会批准了一项超过 2 万亿美元的救助计划，以应对毁灭性的经济衰退。然而，大多数家庭在提供的当月将一次性现金支付用于房租和食物。这使许多人面临不确定的未来，因为他们赚取收入的能力减弱了，额外救济的希望也减弱了。普遍基本收入 (UBI) 是一项向个人提供定期支付的计划，无需接受者进行经济状况调查或其他行动（Van Parijs，2013 年）。该计划是对抗经济衰退、大规模失业、和广泛的业务关闭。在 COVID-19 大流行的背景下，本文讨论了使用 UBI 来应对这些具有挑战性的情况。鉴于经济问题的严重性，与其他救济措施相对或与其他救济措施相结合，UBI 可能适合应对这些挑战。讨论的重点是 UBI 如何作为对 COVID-19 大流行及其影响的公共政策响应。