ABSTRACT: Policy interest in the basic income (BI) proposal is booming, but remarkably little attention is spent on systematically examining political strategies to build robust enabling coalitions in favour of BI. This paper reviews two thorny problems that affect the coalition-building efforts of BI advocates. The problem of cheap political support suggests most BI support may be of little value to further its implementation, while the problem of persistent political division argues superficial agreement amongst committed BI advocates may mask persistent disagreement on which precise model to adopt. The paper discusses the relevance of each of these problems for BI politics, employing both analytical arguments and brief illustrations taken from debates in various countries.
Jurgen De Wispelaere, “The Struggle for Strategy: On the Politics of the Basic Income Proposal“, Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University
Let’s not forget there’s an entire industry built around people on welfare. Many people’s jobs depend on the existence of this group of unemployed, and their jobs are more often then not well-paid. They are also well organized and have good long-standing connections with civil servants of ministries of social affairs. Expecting these parasites to give up their prey for a good cause would be quite naïve.