The Value-Oriented Dynamics of Support for Universal Basic Income in the United States

Existing research on public support for Universal Basic Income (UBI) has focused on the individual and contextual effects that shape attitudes towards this emerging welfare policy in the United States. New information and persuasive framing seem to do little to change the polarized nature of UBI support. However, previous studies have not considered value-based frames that map UBI to traditional values-based divisions in American politics. We analyze an original, nationally representative survey of American respondents and show that framing UBI in terms of egalitarianism and moral traditionalism strongly influences public opinion towards UBI. Underlying value cleavages drive patterns of acceptance or rejection of UBI framing messages, rather than partisanship. Our findings also suggest that value congruence is a critical part of UBI attitudes: traditional opponents of UBI can be moved to support the policy when they receive a treatment amenable to their values.