Between 1968 and 1980, five negative income tax field experiments were conducted in North America. This essay examines the history of these five experiments, both in the political and social contexts of the period and as one chapter in the historical evolution of the social sciences. It considers the political and social contexts of the period and explores the ways in which these experiments were both generated by, and a challenge to, these deeper currents. The essay also presents some preliminary health and social results from a re-examination of the Canadian experiment
Keywords: Sostegno al reddito; Povertà; Esperimento sociale; Reddito garantito; Imposta negativa sul reddito; Campo di sperimentazione
Jel Code: I1, I3, N3, R2, H2, H3, B2