Andrew Yang is running for President of the United States in 2020. Some key aspects of his campaign are that he proposes a universal basic income of $1,000 per month for all American adults, called the Freedom Dividend, to address job losses from automation. He believes that automation will eliminate millions of jobs in the coming years. Yang has over 100 detailed policy proposals on his website and argues that a UBI would encourage work and entrepreneurship while reducing economic insecurity. His campaign strategy involves announcing early, visiting key primary states, mobilizing supporters on social media, and qualifying for televised debates.

1. Andrew Yang’s Campaign for President of the United States
Peter T. Knight
BIEN Congress 2019
Hyderabad, India

2. Who is Andrew Yang?
• Son of Taiwanese immigrants, lives in New York
• 44 years old, married, two sons
• Graduate of Brown University and Columbia
Law School
• Serial Entrepreneur
• Philanthropist
• Announced his candidacy in November 2017
• Qualified for first two Democratic Party
primary debates, close to qualifying for next
two
• 106 detailed policy proposals

3. Yang’s Big 3 Policies

4. And 103 more planks in his platform
For each of the 106 policy planks there is a webpage with the
following items spelled out In detail:
1. The policy
2. A Yang quote about that policy
3. The problem to be solved
4. Guiding principles
5. Goals
6. What Yang will to as president to implement the policy

5. Yang Policy Proposals by Subject Matter

6. Yang’s UBI, The Freedom Dividend
• US$1,000 per month to all adults aged 18 and above
• Opt in or keep existing social welfare benefits, but not
both
• Retired on Social Security or receiving Veteran’s
disability payments continue to receive them plus the
Freedom Dividend
• Totally unconditional, no reporting, monitoring, or
other requirements

7. What would it cost? How to pay for it?
• $3 trillion gross, $1.8 net since some on existing programs
opt out
• Savings from better health, less incarceration, homeless
services
• VAT of 10% (revenue $800 billion), basic goods could be
exempted, luxury goods and services taxed at higher rates
• Increased economic activity and growth ($800 billon revenue
increase)
• Remove cap on social security tax, small carbon tax.

8. Yang’s book makes the case for UBI
Yang, Andrew (April, 2018). The War on Normal People: The Truth About
America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our
Future. New York: Hachette Books.

9. Yang: The robots are coming…a tech tsunami
• We are in the early stages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
• By 2015 automation had already destroyed 4 million manufacturing jobs
• In the next 12 years, 1 out of 3 American workers are at risk of losing their
jobs to new technologies
• Over the next 5-10 years AI, robotics, and eCommerce will displace
• 3.5 million truck drivers,
• 2.5 million call center workers,
• 30% of malls will close, and
• even lawyers, financial analysts and radiologists can be replaced by AI.
• 1 out of 5 working-age men are currently out of the workforce. This will get
much worse as self-driving vehicles and other technologies come online.
• The Freedom Dividend: a platform to help adjust

10. The future is already here.
Self-driving Ubers
Autonomous truck convoy

11. The future is already here.
Robot in Amazon fulfillment center
Abandoned shopping mall
AI operated call center ;-)

12. Yang’s principal arguments in favor of UBI
• Encourages people to find work (not withdrawn if you earn more)
• Reduces bureaucracy
• Increases bargaining power for workers
• Increases entrepreneurship
• Improves mental health of recipients
• Helps people make smarter decisions (economic insecurity reduces
cognitive ability equal to 13 IQ points)
• Improves physical health
• Increases art production, nonprofit work, and caring for loved ones
• Improves labor market efficiency
• Improves relationships

13. Yang’s Campaign Strategy
• Announce early.
• Visit early primary states frequently.
• Write and publicize a book.
• Mobilize tech-savvy enthusiasts – Yang Gang, Yangstas.
• Make heavy use of social media and podcast interviews.
• Get interviewed by all major TV networks and mainline.
newspapers.
• Call for uniting a polarized nation: Not left, not right, it’s
forward.
• Qualify for the primary TV debates.

14. Andrew Yang’s the One to Bet On!

15. Lessons for Politicians in other countries
• Start early, preferably before other candidates.
• Build a strong presence on social media.
• Get long, in-depth interviews by popular podcasters.
• Adopt a problem-solving, non-ideological approach to bridge the
left-right political divide.
• Mobilize campaign funding from enthusiastic small donors.
• Adapt proposals as the campaign proceeds.
• Do not attack other candidates of your party: concentrate on
introducing yourself and your policies to the electorate.

16. Thanks! Any questions?
Peter T. Knight
peter@sufficiency4sustainability.org
http://www.sufficiency4sustainability.org/