JUDY WOODRUFF:

Republicans and Democrats are likely to spend much of this midterm election year debating the virtues of the federal government, particularly when it comes to addressing income inequality. But it turns out that one big idea for changing how the government provides financial assistance may have appeal to some on the left and the right.

It's a minimum level of government payments known as guaranteed basic income. And while it's not exactly in the mainstream yet, the idea is gaining traction, as our economics correspondent, Paul Solman, found out, part of his ongoing reporting Making Sense of financial news.