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Is Basic Income Still Worth Talking About?, Karl Widerquist

Karl Widerquist

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is the hugely ambitious policy of granting a small income to every person, unconditionally as a right of citizenship. Usually, a “full” UBI is considered to be enough to meet basic needs, while anything less is a “partial” UBI (USBIG Network 2011). In the post-financial crisis days of austerity, cutbacks, and retrenchment it might seem that such a policy is too ambitious to be worth discussing in the current political climate, especially in the United States. But this chapter will argue that UBI is (and should be) an important part of the political dialogue today. Part …