In early 2016, a group of concerned citizens working in progressive nonprofit, political, and technology organizations — many of whom are now signatories to the Economic Security Project’s Statement of Belief — came together to explore a crazy idea: what if we could get the San Francisco city government to endorse a universal basic income (UBI)?

UBI has provoked interest from many corners, generating widespread media coverage in publications like The Economist, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. In Canada, Britain, and throughout Europe, major political parties are floating the idea as an elegant, modern solution to a broad swath of problems. Around the world, including here in the Bay Area, several studies are now underway to pilot variations on a basic income.

Despite the early momentum, there are still many unknowns. How much do people know about UBI? What do they think of it? Has all the media coverage translated into awareness or support?

We looked around for examples of other now-popular policy ideas that started small. Today, a majority of voters support ideas like marriage equality, minimum wage increases, or decriminalizing cannabis. In many such cases, political support and early policy trials began at the state and local level, so we asked whether this local-first approach might also make sense for UBI.

To answer our questions we commissioned a poll, led by political consultants 50+1 Strategies and David Binder Research. To our knowledge, this is the most significant piece of political research on UBI in the United States.

We share key takeaways below in hopes of advancing the conversation around this potentially important piece of policy. None of the arguments against, nor the overall numbers, come as much of a surprise for a bold idea still in its political infancy. The key lessons are the urgent necessity to raise awareness and promote the potential benefits of a universal basic income.