by Liam Upton | Dec 8, 2014 | Research
Florent Marcellesi, European Parliament spokesperson for Spanish Basic Income-supporting party Equo
[Liam Upton]
The author interviews the European Parliament spokesperson for Equo, the Spanish affiliate of the Green Party and supporters of Basic Income. One of the questions is whether he prefers Basic Income or a Job Guarantee.
Language: Spanish
Daniel Ayllón, “Un 15% de hogares no se puede permitir el lujo de encender la luz o la calefacción [15% of homes can’t permit themselves the luxury of heat and lighting]”, La Marea, November 23 2014
by Karl Widerquist | Dec 8, 2014 | Research
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Would it be possible to provide people with a basic income as a right? The idea has a long history. This book draws on two pilot schemes conducted in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh, in which thousands of men, women and children were provided with an unconditional monthly cash payment.
Book Cover
In a context in which the Indian government at national and state levels spends a vast amount on subsidies and selective schemes that are chronically expensive, inefficient, inequitable and subject to extensive corruption, there is scope for switching at least some of the spending to a modest basic income. This book explores what would be likely to happen if this were done.
The book draws on a series of evaluation surveys conducted over the course of the eighteen months in which the main pilot was in operation, supplemented with detailed case studies of individuals and families. It looks at the impact on health and nutrition, on schooling, on economic activity, women’s agency and the welfare of those with disabilities.
Above all, the book considers whether or not a basic income could be transformative, in not only improving individual and family welfare but in promoting economic growth and development, as well as having an emancipatory effect for people long mired in conditions of poverty and economic insecurity.
Sarath Davala, Renana Jhabvala, Soumya Kapoor Mehta, and Guy Standing. Basic Income: A Transformative Policy for India. New Delhi: Bloomsbury Publishing India, December 2014.
by Karl Widerquist | Dec 8, 2014 | Research
A universal basic income (UBI) and unemployment insurance (UI) are two possible forms of social insurance for an economy in which job loss is a significant risk. Alice Fabre, Stéphane Pallage, and Christian Zimmermann (FPZ) address in a recent working paper from the Research Division of the St. Louis Fed. They argue, when compared head-to-head, UI is a better social safety net than a UBI. Skeptics are likely to seize on these findings, but in the Ed Dolan’s view, they do not support a blanket rejection of a UBI. Instead, as he explains, they highlight how important it is for UBI proponents to pay attention to details of financing and program design.
Ed Dolan. “Universal Basic Income vs. Unemployment Insurance: Which is the Better Safety Net?” EconoMonitor. November 24th, 2014
by Liam Upton | Dec 7, 2014 | Research
Credit: Jackie - Flickr
[Liam Upton]
Scott Santens, “Wouldn’t Unconditional Basic Income Just Cause Massive Inflation?”, Medium, November 22 2014
by Toby | Dec 7, 2014 | Research
ABSTRACT: In this paper we compare the welfare effects of unemployment insurance (UI) with an universal basic income (UBI) system in an economy with idiosyncratic shocks to employment. Both policies provide a safety net in the face of idiosyncratic shocks. While the unemployment insurance program should do a better job at protecting the unemployed, it suffers from moral hazard and substantial monitoring costs, which may threaten its usefulness. The universal basic income, which is simpler to manage and immune to moral hazard, may represent an interesting alternative in this context. We work within a dynamic equilibrium model with savings calibrated to the United States for 1990 and 2011, and provide results that show that UI beats UBI for insurance purposes because it is better targeted towards those in need.
Stephane Pallage, Christian Zimmermann, “Universal Basic Income versus Unemployment Insurance”, IDEAS, 2014 November 14
by Andre Coelho | Dec 6, 2014 | Research
Volendam. © ANP
Dutch minister Asscher has shown concerns about further automatization and the necessity to apply new instruments to social policy. A possibility is presented through the unconditional basic income, applied to Dutch society, discussing advantages and its financing.
Tike van der Eijk and Paula Teutscher, “Het is tijd voor een basisinkomen voor iedereen [It’s time for a Basic Income for everyone]“, de Volkskrant, October 2 2014
