&gt;$12,000&#x2F;year per American adult who is not already on welfare or social security...<p>Is not what&#x27;s being proposed by pretty much anyone.<p>$12,000&#x2F;year per American adult who isn&#x27;t already earning $X&#x2F;year is how I understand it. A negative income tax, effectively.<p>Even if it&#x27;s not administered that way (i.e., everyone gets a $1k check every month), then you raise taxes in such a way that every dollar earned means you earn more, but that by, say, $48k&#x2F;year you&#x27;re paying at least $12k&#x2F;year in taxes.