Andrew Yang is not your typical candidate: in a field dominated by Democratic party veterans like Bernie Sanders, the 44-year-old son of Taiwanese immigrants has never run for elected office before.

Despite this, he's doing well. From nowhere, he's surged in popularity and is now among the frontrunners for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

The reason for this has a lot to do with 'the Freedom Dividend': a pure universal basic income, with no phaseouts for top earners or work requirements.

A $1000 monthly cheque would be mailed to every adult American aged 18 to 64, with no strings attached. For Americans currently benefiting from cash or cash-like programs like Social Security Disability Insurance, food stamps, or Section 8 housing assistance, Yang would offer a choice between the existing welfare state and the Freedom Dividend, in hopes that no one would be left worse off.

In March, Yang had exceeded 65,000 donors; clearing a threshold the Democratic National Committee has set for eligibility in the first two debates.

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Whatsapp A meme from 'Yang Gang' supporters of Andrew Yang.

Meanwhile, a Californian city this week began a limited universal basic income pilot, giving 130 recipients $500 a month with no conditions.

Another Democratic candidate, Senator Kamala Harris, has proposed a monthly "liveable incomes" grant to working families.

There are plenty of arguments against UBIs: it could make people bored and lazy, it could cause inflation, and it may cost too much.

Whatever you may think of the idea, it's remarkable that UBIs have become a discussion point in the Democratic party primary campaign, while in Australia, during the current federal election campaign, we've heard nothing.

Here, the rhetoric has been about fairness - but only for working Australians.

No-one from the major parties is talking about a basic human right to economic security; that if you're part of a society, you have a right to share its wealth.

"I believe in a fair go for those who have a go, and what that means is part of the promise that we all keep as Australians is that we make a contribution and don't seek to take one," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last week.

"When all Australians do that, that's when we get the fair go mentality and culture that has made our country strong today. So under our policies, if you're having a go you'll get a go. And that involves an obligation on all of us to be able to bring what we have to the table."

Labor, which titled its first official election ad "A Fair Go for Australia", has promised to introduce a new minimum 'living wage' - raising the minimum wage and possibly pegging it to some other measure of living standards, such as average weekly earnings.

That's very different to a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.

'The Yang campaign is changing the game in a big way'

Josh McGee, the founder of the advocacy group Basic Income Australia, told Hack he had received plenty of interest in the idea of a UBI, but voters say they won't back the concept until it's endorsed by political leaders, while politicians are waiting to see voter support.

"We're stuck in a bit of a loop," he said.

Everybody is waiting for someone else to endorse it first.

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Whatsapp Andrew Yang leaves after a campaign rally at the Lincoln Memorial April 15, 2019 in Washington, DC.

He agreed discussion of UBIs had been missing from the federal campaign; the last time it properly made the news was in March, during the NSW election campaign, when the state Greens proposed trialling a $700-a-fortnight UBI in South Nowra.

Before that, the Australian Greens party made headlines in April last year when it called for the introduction of a UBI scheme.

It's still party policy, but far down on the list of priorities; action on climate change appears to be the Green's main message this election.

Josh McGee said Australia was far behind the US on this issue.

"The Andrew Yang campaign is really changing the game in a big way," he said.

"We're seeing other candidates being asked questions about UBI. Minor candidates are endorsing it which probably they wouldn't have done."

He said he expected once a country such as Canada, India, Scotland or one of the Nordic countries adopted a UBI, others would follow "like dominoes".

As soon as one gets an unconditional liveable wage other countries are going to ask why aren't we getting that?

Like Andrew Yang, Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Rutger Bregman, Josh believes automation will soon make many jobs obsolete and this will transform the social contract: instead of being expected to earn a living wage, people will demand a UBI.

This raises the prospect of future election campaigns that no longer focus on job creation and targeted welfare like pensions and the dole.

"Our current system is built on a shaky situation," he said.

"And politics is not the most fast-moving innovative industry."