Michael Tubbs

At an age when many people are considered too young to entrust with much responsibility, Tubbs runs an entire city—Stockton, Calif., pop. 320,000. In fact, he was elected as both the youngest mayor in history of any sizable U.S. city and Stockton’s first black mayor. And with youth has come an unconventional idea. Tubbs is implementing universal basic income, a hot but largely untested economic theory that involves government giving cash to citizens to eliminate poverty. Starting as soon as this fall, the city will give $500 a month in donated money to up to 100 local families to spend as they please.