Bruce Barlett “Rethinking the Idea of a Basic Income for All”

by | Dec 31, 2013 | Research

Bruce Bartlett -Goodman/Van Ripe

Bruce Bartlett -Goodman/Van Ripe

[Craig Axford – USBIG and Aynur Bashirova – BIEN]

In this New York Times column Bruce Bartlett, former senior adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, provides a detailed overview of the history of the basic income guarantee idea and the arguments offered in its support.  Using the upcoming vote in Switzerland as an introduction to the concept, efforts to make BIG official policy during both the Johnson and Nixon administrations as well as arguments favoring grants to every citizen articulated by Thomas Paine more than two centuries ago are described.

Barlett also writes about modern activists for the basic income guarantee, such as Jessica M. Flanigan. As an activist, Flanigan has published many articles in support of the initiative in which she calls BI, negative income tax. According to her and her supporters, the BI is needed as compensation for the negative effects of property rights on ordinary citizens, especially young people, who are suffering due to past consequences not related to them.

Bruce Barlett. “Rethinking the Idea of a Basic Income for All.” The New York Times. 10th December 2013.

Keith Wagstaff, "Why the U.S. government should send you $3,000 for doing nothing"

by | Nov 27, 2013 | Research

Giving new meaning to "the check's in the mail."

Giving new meaning to "the check's in the mail." (Courtesy Shutterstock)

[Craig Axford]

In this opinion piece, Keith Wagstaff states that Switzerland will be the first developed nation to adopt a basic income guarantee (BIG) should voters there approve it.  If that happens, Wagstaff argues it may force other countries, including the United States, to begin giving BIG another look.  Though this is an approach that draws support from both the right and the left, according to the author,  it would be impossible to get a BIG proposal through the current Congress.

Keith Wagstaff, “Why the US government should send you $3000 for doing nothing”, The Week, November 14, 2013:  https://theweek.com/article/index/252828/why-the-us-government-should-send-you-3000-for-doing-nothing

Ketterer, H., Bossard, E., Neufeind, M., Wehner, T. “Gerechtigkeitseinstellungen und Positionen zum Bedingungslosen Grundeinkommen. [For and against the unconditional basic income: a matter of differences in justice attitudes and life goals?]”

by | Nov 26, 2013 | Research

ABSTRACT: Since the launch of the referendum on an Unconditional basic income (UBI) in April 2012 a lively debate is being held on the possibility of a society with UBI. The proposal to introduce a basic in- come without means-testing receives strong support as well as strong opposition. How can this be explained? Recently, a study run by a master student at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland and a research group based at ETH Zurich tried to answer this question. The results of the online survey show that there is a link between an individual’s position towards the UBI on the one hand, and his/her understanding of justice and his/her personal life goals on the other hand. Supporters of the UBI consider equality in society important, whereas non-supporters of the UBI tolerate inequalities between individuals if they are based on personal achievement. With regard to life goals, supporters rate community and personal growth as more important than non-supporters who rate wealth and image as more important. However, both supporters and non-supporters report intact social relationships and personal growth as their most important life goals.

In German with summaries in English, French and Italian.

Ketterer, H., Bossard, E., Neufeind, M., Wehner, T. “Gerechtigkeitseinstellungen und Positionen zum Bedingungslosen Grundeinkommen. [For and against the unconditional basic income: a matter of differences in justice attitudes and life goals?]” Zürcher Beiträge zur Psychologie der Arbeit Zürcher. Issue 2, 2013