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That's also the same as the FairTax, which is a major policy proposal in the US. And it involves sending everyone a check each month.

So this idea is actually not that far out for the US, at least.

I should also point out that the FairTax is primarily supported by conservatives at this point, though from my point of view, liberals should be even more supportive.

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you're probably downvoted because you're very clearly wrong about FairTax. it's a very very different thing than from a guaranteed $20k income. FairTax also has the rather creepy distinction than it has an Orwellian propagandist name, because it is not (necessarily) a "fair" tax at all. It's riddled with loopholes and complexity to be exploited, and many folks think it favors the rich and inherited classes, at the expense of the poor/working class.

The FairTax is a sales tax, not an income tax. It's quite different from an income tax, negative or no.

The FairTax as I have heard it advocated included a huge annual transfer payment to redress the highly regressive aspect of all consumption taxes. (If you are poor, you consume 100% or more of income, resulting in paying taxes on all of it. Richer individuals consume a fraction of their income, thus paying a much lower overall rate.) It would instantly be the most extensive wealth transfer program in the world.

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