Our Civic Action founder, Nick Hanauer, recently joined Andrew Yang for a discussion on the benefits of universal basic income versus a higher federal minimum wage. 

As you likely remember from the Democratic presidential primary contest, Yang was a prominent advocate for a guaranteed payment of $1,000 to every family – and he’s one of the most prolific proponents of universal basic income in the country. 

Nick, by contrast, is a vocal advocate for increasing the federal minimum wage to $15, and the two debated the merits of whether UBI or a minimum-wage increase would be better for society. 

So, where do you stand? What policy would be better in the short- and long-term? You can give their conversation a listen for yourself and come to a conclusion by clicking here now.

Here’s the crux though: Both Nick and Andrew agree that, if left with no choice, they would support one another’s policy proposals. They both agree that investing in everyday people is key to building a stronger, more equitable society. 

The other aspect they agree on? Overtime protections. Workers have been taken advantage of for far too long by employers on many levels, but this one is certainly one employers capitalize on. Workers are putting in more than 40 hours a week in exchange for zero additional pay. Robust overtime protections would ensure that workers' time has value – and that employers should pay time-and-a-half for every minute worked over 40 hours. Nick and Andrew both agreed we must shore up strong protections for workers and get them the overtime pay they rightfully deserve. 

Once you come to your conclusion, we want to know what you think:

If you were in charge of the federal government and were able to institute a major policy tomorrow, what would you choose?