Bromides: a trite and unoriginal idea or remark, typically intended to soothe or placate. "feel-good bromides create the illusion of problem solving"
I'd like to see more experiments, trials and studies but ultimately they'll all fall flat because they're not the real deal (still useful, just not 100% accurate). The 'Universal' part is what makes it so interesting to me and also happens to be impossible to test without actually implementing it at a massive scale. Any data gathered from not-truly-universal sources will always be fundamentally flawed from the perspective of what the impacts actually would be in the real economy.
There are lots of open questions around UBI but IMO that just means it needs further debate and discourse.
The best solution to what problem, exactly? All of them?
> I'm sure it does reduce poverty and homelessness with some, but does it also increase unemployment and alcoholism?
It feels like you're shifting the goalposts here. Are you trying to find some kind of silver bullet where one "solution" solves all of these problems at the same time? Each of those "bromides" offers actual good solutions to each of those individual problems.
Notable also is that the OP did not call it "welfare" checks or "highly subsidized public" housing. Those extra qualifiers make it quite clear what your agenda/already made opinion is, even when you're attempting to hide it in conciliatory/placating language.
The stated problems of poverty and homelessness (and perhaps secondary and tertiary problems).
> Each of those "bromides" offers actual good solutions to each of those individual problems.
I don't think they do, because they are poorly defined. How much money must be given to reduce poverty? A small welfare check? $1,000 per month in UBI? A $6,000/month stipend from your parents? How much poverty is reduced and how?
> Notable also is that the OP did not call it "welfare" checks or "highly subsidized public" housing.
That is exactly why I chose those terms, because OP didn't other than using "money" and "housing". They needed to be more precise, in my opinion so I used an established vehicle for giving money and housing as an example. I actually don't have specific policy in mind here, I just feel being too vague about these things doesn't actually help and tends to confuse things.
Housing First model
Rat Park addiction
Iceland teen drinking
Colorado abortion rate
Careful. The US ranks pretty poorly compared to most European countries.
For example, I'm not so sure that giving folks a small welfare check and putting them in highly subsidized public housing projects is the best solution. I'm sure it does reduce poverty and homelessness with some, but does it also increase unemployment and alcoholism? I don't claim to know the answer, but it's worth exploring. Perhaps a UBI is the answer? Just giving away condoms seems less effective than also creating educational programs. There are plenty of alcoholics with interesting things to do, maybe there is more than just lack of resources at play?