Why has the pandemic increased support for Universal Basic Income?

COVID-19 has led to a marked increase in positive discussion of Universal Basic Income in political and media circles. Yet we do not know whether there has been a corresponding increase in support for the policy in the public at large, and if so why. Daniel Nettle presents two studies on this question carried out in April and May 2020. The results illustrate how the pandemic has brought about shifts in policy preferences, through changes in citizens’ perceptions of what is important.