In 1997, when a casino resort opened on the Cherokee reservation in western North Carolina, family life got a little easier. The tribal government, which owned the casino, distributed a portion of its profits to every adult in the tribe—about $4,000 per person per year. For parents, the extra income was a relief, as well as an opportunity to invest in their kids, especially those with behavioral issues.
The results were significant: Emotional and behavioral health improved among the children, particularly for those who’d been struggling more than their peers. Relationships between parents and between parents and kids strengthened. Some families were even able to move to neighborhoods with higher income levels and better educational opportunities.
These are the findings of a new NBER working paper, which analyses the results of a longitudinal survey of western North Carolina children, both Cherokee and non-Cherokee. The benefits that the reliable extra cash offered the Cherokee families add to the argument for universal basic income. Besides improving outcomes for kids, a 2013 article in the Atlantic made the case that if the federal government wrote an annual $3,000 check to every American—adults and children, rich and poor—we could cut poverty rates in half.
[For more of this story, written by Laura Bliss, go to http://www.citylab.com/politic...ect-solution/407257/]
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