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The Promising Results of a Citywide Basic-Income Experiment

Linnea Feldman Emison

July 15, 2020 |

The New Yorker |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Stockton, California

Universal basic income, or UBI, was implemented in Stockton, California through a pilot program known as SEED. Each participant was given $500 with no conditions on how to spend it. The data shows that the largest expense was food, especially as the pandemic began. Participants report being able to quit second jobs and third jobs, pay off debts, and cover medical bills. A key feature of the UBI was the absence of the requirement to be employed in order to receive the money. The basic-income pilot has caught the attention of programs across the country who reached out for advice.

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Blockchain technology to boost power access in rural areas

Faustine Ngila

July 14, 2020 |

Nation Africa |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya

A micro-grid system has been paired with blockchain technology to easily sell and buy affordable and clean energy in rural Kenya. Residents living in the countryside don't generally have access to reliable and affordable electricity but this new technology allows rural Kenyans to install solar panels on their homes and easily sell surplus electricity to neighbors. The pilot program is a result of a collaboration between an NGO and a local tech company.

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Democracy Reform: Voters Not Politicians

Richard Davies Jim Meigs

July 10, 2020 |

How Do We Fix It? |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Michigan

Voters Not Politicians is a grassroots initiative that, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, ran a successful campaign to defeat gerrymandering in Michigan. The state has a citizen-led ballot initiative option, so the group held townhall meetings and gathered over 410,000 voter signatures to get the initiative on the statewide ballot. The measure was challenged in courts, but the group raised funds for legal help and the initiative passed by a margin of 61-39 percent. The new law requires that an independent group of average citizens will decide district boundaries with full transparency.

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The Pandemic Proved That Cash Payments Work

Annie Lowrey

July 10, 2020 |

The Atlantic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

American households were able to avoid income loss when the federal government implemented an extra $600 a week for anyone facing unemployment in addition to $1200 for those who qualified, regardless of their employment status. Despite an almost total economic shutdown, the universal payments have kept poverty rates from increasing. The money has provided a security net for households while also preventing a collapse by generating economic activity.

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Texas's High School Voter Registration Law Fails to Live Up to Ideals

James Russell

July 02, 2020 |

Next City |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Texas

A Texas law requiring high school principals to register eligible student voters has failed because it is unequally carried out, not enforceable or tracked, and other obstacles to vote prevent students from casting ballots. While the law was an impressive attempt to increase the civic participation of young people, many high schools have not participated. A 2019 report shows that only 38% of schools with at least 20 seniors requested voter registration forms. A confounding obstacle is a 2013 voter ID law that requires voters to show one of seven forms of photo identification, but student IDs are not eligible

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What We Can Learn from Costa Rica's Embrace of Migrants

Katherine Stanley Obando

July 01, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Costa Rica

Despite its own troubled economy, Costa Rica has embraced a large influx of Nicaraguan refugees out of a recognition that immigration is an economic boon. The absorption of more than 28,000 migrants in one year, in a country of only 5 million people, has been aided by Costa Rica's existing population of Nicaraguans who fled earlier rounds of political and economic upheaval in their country. Those earlier migrants formed a network of aid organizations providing new arrivals with basic necessities, educational opportunity, connection to social services, and mental health support groups.

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How Other Countries Handled Their Jobs Crises

Cardiff Garcia

June 17, 2020 |

NPR |

Podcast |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States

Varying tactics have been adopted in response to the worldwide pandemic, prompting financial implications; some more successful than others. Germany and Japan, in particular, have been able to maintain low unemployment rates in comparison to the US. Germany's approach is a work-sharing program, or "Kurzarbeit," which allows employers to reduce hours for all employees instead of letting some employees go, preventing workers from experiencing the uncertainties of unemployment. South Korea's successful approach to containing the virus prevented the loss of jobs and prompted a faster return to normal.

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How Switzerland avoided a coronavirus 'catastrophe' by protecting cross-border workers

Daniel Wighton

June 12, 2020 |

The Local |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Switzerland

Switzerland avoids a total shutdown of borders in order to keep its healthcare system functioning during the covid-19 health crisis. Healthcare workers are vital to border cities such as Geneva, which relies on cross-border workers who commute to and from the country on a daily basis. Health workers were given faster access at border crossings and other employees were encouraged to work from home after tax treaties and agreements were quickly re-written and passed to avoid workers and employers from being penalized.

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What Estonia could teach us about internet voting in a post-pandemic world

Chris O'Brien

June 11, 2020 |

VentureBeat |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Estonia

Estonia’s i-Voting system is currently used by 46.7% of voters and allows them to vote from home using a government-issued smart card. To vote, residents need a computer with a card reader or can have their encrypted ID linked to their cell phone SIM card. They can track their vote with a QR code and are able to change their choices any time during the 10-day voting period. Estonia is currently the only country to use this method, in part because eroding government trust has prevented the use of centralized systems that track personal information.

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Democracy isn't working: five ideas that are already helping to fix the problem

Patrick Chalmers

June 10, 2020 |

The Correspondent |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Kenya

Communities around the world are increasing citizen participation in political decision-making in innovative ways. Participatory budgets allow locals to decide how cities spend money and in some Kenyan cities this has successfully engaged marginalized communities. Citizens’ Initiative Reviews in Oregon and Representative Population Samples in Brazil have allowed the public to weigh in on important policies. In Taiwan, citizen-led digital participation platforms helped to control the coronavirus and avoid major shutdowns. These alternatives require funding and public trust, both of which can be hard to get.

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