In 1956, Harper Lee, a struggling writer, was offered an exciting opportunity. Lee's friends and family gathered and handed him an envelope. The envelope contained money equivalent to a year's salary and a note saying "You have a year off to write whatever you want" ("Universal Basic Income: The Answer to Automation?"). Lee accepted the money and took a year off to concentrate on writing. Around this time, Lee was able to write To Kill a Mockingbird. Since then, Lee has received numerous awards for his writing and has sold many copies of To Kill a Mockingbird. Although technically this did not constitute universal basic income, it served the same purpose for Harper Lee (“Universal Basic Income: The Answer to Automation?”). This opportunity allowed Lee to improve his life because it took a financial burden off his shoulders and gave him more freedom with his time. Implementing a universal basic income would provide opportunities similar to Lee's to all universal basic income recipients; enabling these beneficiaries to improve their lives. In today's society, there are many regulations on eligibility to receive government funding, limiting who has this opportunity to improve their lives. Our society is also leaning toward automation, which limits the availability of jobs, thereby increasing the number of U.S. citizens in need of financial assistance. Due to inequality in government funding and automation limiting employment, the United States government should implement a universal basic income to fund and financially support adult citizens equally so that everyone can improve his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay Universal basic income (UBI), a form of government funding, is a fixed income granted to all individuals, regardless of regardless of their social or economic situation. Andrew Yang, a popular entrepreneur and economist, describes universal basic income as “a version of Social Security in which all citizens receive a fixed amount per month, regardless of their employment status or income” (p. 166). . This version of social assistance supports all citizens equally by providing the same funding to all recipients. This concept of universal basic income has been around for many years. Several popular political figures have introduced versions of UBI, but none of these versions have been implemented (Yang p 166). However, Yang explains that "a form of UBI came close to becoming law in the United States in 1970 and 1971, passing the House of Representatives twice before stalling in the Senate" (p. 166). Currently, there is a popular form of UBI introduced by Andrew Yang called Freedom Dividend. Yang's Freedom Dividen proposes that all citizens aged 18 to 64 receive an annual income of $12,000 or $1,000 per month (Yang p 166). The Freedom Dividend would provide all individuals in this specific age range with a fixed income from the government to do as they wish. This social welfare program would enable the government to financially support citizens equally in times of need and grant financial freedom to beneficiaries. As society advances, the need for a universal basic income increases and becomes more important. The problem is automation; As technology advances, automation takes over the workplace, leaving citizens jobless. Yang says that many).