With supporters such as Charles Murray and Friedrich Hayek, the Basic Income has been a rare example of a welfare policy that transcends ideological boundaries. Sam Bowman recently reiterated his support for the basic income in a short article on the Adam Smith Institute blog.
“I’ve long made the case for a basic income (aka a Negative Income Tax) on the basis that it would simplify the welfare system and make sure people always have an incentive to work,” Bowman says.
In addition to noting the economic impact of a basic income, Bowman points to Charles Murray’s argument that a basic income could jump-start civil society. According to Murray, a basic income would help civic organizations become “much more vital, helpful and responsive” to the needs of the community. Bowman concludes that, if Murray is correct, a basic income could be a solution to both “primary poverty” and “secondary poverty”.
Sam Bowman, “Would a basic income reinvigorate civil society?”, Adam Smith Institute, December 8, 2015.
