An alternative would be to provide every citizen a tiny share of all intellectual property awarded by the patent office and protected by the government. As the worth of the nation’s stock of intellectual capital grew, all citizens would reap the dividends. Another alternative would be to give every child at birth a basic minimum endowment of stocks and bonds—a “share” in the future economy, which, as the economy grew and the value of the endowment compounded, would become a nest egg capable of producing a minimum basic income.
