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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2012

Philosophy

Basic Income, Employment and Welfare Reform

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

On The Political Feasibility Of Universal Basic Income, Jurgen De Wispelaere, Jose A. Noguera Aug 2012

On The Political Feasibility Of Universal Basic Income, Jurgen De Wispelaere, Jose A. Noguera

Jurgen De Wispelaere

For much of the last two decades, debate around the proposal of a universal basic income (BI) centered on arguing the ethical and economic case for instituting a policy that grants each adult citizen a guaranteed income as a right, without a means test or work requirement. The question of how to bring about such a policy—the question of political feasibility—has only recently gained traction amongst BI advocates. Leaving aside some notable exceptions, much work remains to be done to further our understanding of the challenges faced by BI advocates and the strategies available to overcome these. In this chapter, …


A Disarmingly Simple Idea? Practical Bottlenecks In Implementing A Universal Basic Income, Jurgen De Wispelaere, Lindsay Stirton Apr 2012

A Disarmingly Simple Idea? Practical Bottlenecks In Implementing A Universal Basic Income, Jurgen De Wispelaere, Lindsay Stirton

Jurgen De Wispelaere

This article considers the implementation of a universal basic income, a neglected area in basic income research. We identify and examine three important practical bottlenecks that may prevent a basic income scheme from attaining the universal reach desired and proclaimed by its advocates: i) maintaining a population-wide cadaster of eligible claimants ensuring full takeup; ii) instituting robust modalities of payment that reach all intended beneficiaries; and iii) designing an effective oversight mechanism in a policy context that actively opposes client monitoring. We argue that the implementation of universal basic income faces unique challenges that its proponents must consider carefully.


The Alaska Model: A Republican Perspective, David Casassas, Jurgen De Wispelaere Apr 2012

The Alaska Model: A Republican Perspective, David Casassas, Jurgen De Wispelaere

Jurgen De Wispelaere

Since 1982, each Alaskan has received an equal share of the returns to the Alaska Permanent Fund (APF), a publicly owned investment portfolio funded by the state’s oil revenue. These returns come in the form of a Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) allocating an annual grant of roughly $1,200 to each man, woman, and child who meets the residency requirement. In this chapter we assess the pros and cons of the Alaska model from the perspective of contemporary republicanism, an approach in political theory most famously associated with the work of Quentin Skinner and Philip Pettit. This chapter argues that for …