President Donald Trump said he's considering a plan to pay out $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers in the form of a 'DOGE dividend' during a speech last week.

By definition, a dividend is a distribution of profits by a corporation to its shareholders and a refund is a payment made back to a user that previously paid for something. A stimulus check, on the other hand, is a direct payment to encourage spending and stimulate the economy by putting money directly into the consumers' hands.

The idea of a hefty DOGE dividend stimulus check is undeniably appealing, but current data suggest that, if implemented, it would be more symbolic than transformative.