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Citizen's dividend is a proposed state policy based upon the principle that the natural world is the common property of all persons (see Georgism). It is proposed that all citizens receive regular payments (a "dividend") from revenue raised by the state through leasing or selling natural resources for private use. In the United States, the idea can be traced back to Thomas Paine's essay, Agrarian Justice, which is also considered one of the earliest proposals for a social security system in the United States.This concept is similar to basic income, except that the Citizen's Dividend depends upon the value of natural resources.
Alaska hosts a Citizen's Dividend paid by the Alaska Permanent Fund, which holds investments made with some of the state's revenue from mineral resources, particularly petroleum. In the year 2003, every Alaskan citizen received a check for $1,107.56, and in 2004 the dividend was $919.84. This included children.
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