by Enno Schmidt | May 4, 2023 | Events, News
FRIBIS will be hosting a three-part Summer School this year which will take place in Freiburg (Germany). Each part will focus on the topic of “Empirical Methods in UBI Investigation” but from different perspectives. The Summer School will be held in English and applications can be submitted now. Application deadline: 22nd May 2023.
July 10th – How to build a UBI pilot – Delivered by Dr. Neil Howard (University of Bath) & Dr. Sarath Davala (Basic Income Earth Network) – A growing number of UBI pilot tests are being proposed or are in preparation around the world. However, there is limited knowledge about how to design a pilot, the most appropriate methods, and the ethics of pilot research. Participants will address these issues.
July 11th-14th – Social Contract Lab Experiments – Delivered by Prof. Bernhard Neumärker (Universität Freiburg), Prof. Lorenzo Sacconi (Università degli Studi di Milano Statale), Prof. Marco Faillo (Università di Trento) & Dr. Virginia Cecchini Manara (Università degli Studi di Milano Statale) – It will focus on the application of Social Contract Theory to behavioural and experimental economics, both in theory and practice. Participants will discuss the relevance of behavioural experiments for normative theories and learn how to design and conduct lab experiments.
July 18th-20th – Microsimulation & Social Welfare Maximization – Delivered by Prof. Ugo Colombino (University of Turin) – Both young researchers (MSc, PhD) and more advanced academics who are nevertheless still beginners in static modelling will have the rare opportunity to learn from an extensive introduction to the development of static microsimulation models and welfare analysis, covering both theory and practice.
We are looking forward to your application and we’d be pleased if you could share the event with potentially interested students, phd-candidates & colleagues.
by Mike Valentine | May 3, 2023 | Arabic
لا يتفق الديموقراطيون والجمهوريين كثيرا، ولكنهم يتفقون بسهولة على تلك النقطة وهي ان سياسات التضامن الاجتماعي الحالية لا تعمل. ويخشى اللبراليون ان السياسات الحالية المتقلصة لاتصل للكثير من يحتاجونها بينما يخشى الجمهوريين ان تخلق اعتماد على الدولة وكلاهما صحيح.
كانت البرنامج الاساسي للمساعدات النقدية المؤقتة للعائلات الأمريكية تشمل في عام 1995 ثمانية وستون بالمئة من العائلات ذوي الدخل المنخفض، بينما حاليا فقط ثلاثة وعشرون بالمائة من الفقراء يحصلون على دعم. السبب الأساسي لهذا التغير هو تحديد فترة المعونة انما لا تزيد عن خمس سنوات، واقل عن ذلك في بعض الولايات، وزيادة تشديد شروط من يحق له الدعم. ادت تلك السياسات لتخفيض عدد المندمجين بالضمان الاجتماعي بزيادة الفقر في الولايات المتحدة، لضغط عائلي وزيادة من الأطفال المطروحة للتبني. حاليا تعيش 1.46 مليون عائلة أمريكية تضمن 2.8 مليون طفل بأقل من 2 دولار في اليوم وبذلك تحت خط الفقر الشديد المحدد من البنك الدولي.
في نفس الوقت أدت الشروط الزائدة لتحديد من يستحق الدعم الهادفة لتقليل الاعتماد على الدولة لنتيجة عكسية. في سبيل المثال ترينا المقارنة بين ولايات ذو شروط صارمة للعمل من ولايات مع شروط أكثر مرونة وجد ان في هذه الولايات الحاصلون على الدعم يجدوا وظائف أفضل: المتلقين ينتقلون إلى أجر أعلى، وعمل ذو مزايا أعلى. والسبب في ذلك على الأرجح هو لأن لديهم متسعًا للبحث عن وظيفة جيدة ومناسبة. بدلا من ان يكونوا مجبرونا لا ان يأخذوا اول فرصة عمل تقدم لهم. ونلاحظ نتائج مشابهة في الولايات التي ربطت تلقي الدعم بممتلكات الحاصلين عليه، وفي تلك الحالات، فلا يحصل مثلا من يمتلك سيارة على دعم، فكما هكذا شرط يتبق على الاسر الفقيرة فليس بإمكانهم الاستمرار بوظيفة في مناطق تنقص فيها وسائل المواصلات العامة.
والأسوأ من ذلك، بعض الباحثين يكتشفون “تأثير الهاوية” حيث يفقد متلقو الرعاية الاجتماعية على الفور جميع المساعدات (بما في ذلك مساعدة رعاية الأطفال) بعد زيادة طفيفة في الدخل. نتيجة لذلك، يرفض العديد من الأهالي فرص ترقية لأنهم سيكونون في نهاية المطاف أسوأ حالًا من الناحية المالية. سيتخذ أي رب أسرى نفس القرار إذا كان يعني القدرة على إطعام أطفالهم وتحمل تكاليف رعاية الأطفال الجيدة.
يجب أن نعيد تصميم هذا النظام بأكمله. في أكثر الدولة ازدهارًا في العالم ، من المضحك أن ينشأ الأطفال في نوع من الحرمان الذي نربطه عادةً مع البلدان النامية. في الوقت نفسه، يجب أن لا نعيق أي شخص من زيادة دخله أو أصوله. أحد الحلول المتاحة هو الدخل الأساسي الشامل ، والذي من شأنه أن يوفر فائدة سنوية لكل مواطن. ومع ذلك، فإن هذه الفكرة تأتي بسعر باهظ وستزيد إما من عجزنا القومي أو تزايدة من معدل الضريبة الهامشي، وكلاهما قد يكون سياسيًا غير مجدي. الحل الأبسط هو ضريبة الدخل السلبية (NIT) .والتي من المحتمل أن تكون أرخص من جهودنا الحالية للتخفيف من حدة الفقر NIT ائتمان ضريبة قابلة للاسترداد ترفع كل أسرة على مستوى الفقر الفيدرالي. الطريقة الأكثر فاعلية للقيام بذلك هي تقليل الائتمان ببطء (على سبيل المثال، تخفيض 0.50 دولار لكل زيادة قدرها دولار واحد في الدخل المكتسب) بحيث لا تكون هناك عقوبة على العمل الشاق.
قام الباحثون في جامعة ميشيغان بحساب كيف تبدو هكذا خطة في الممارسة العملية. على سبيل المثال، إذا لم يكن لدى الأسرة دخل، فسيكون ائتمانها الضريبي 100 ٪ من خط الفقر (20.780 دولارًا لأسرة مكونة من ثلاثة أفراد ). إذا زاد الدخل المكتسب للأسرة إلى نصف خط الفقر (10.390 دولارًا)، سينخفض الائتمان الضريبي إلى 15.585 دولارًا. سيتم إنهاء الائتمان الضريبي تمامًا بمجرد وصول دخل الأسرة إلى ضعف مستوى الفقر (41،560 دولارًا أمريكيًا). تكلف هكذا خطة ما يقرب من 219 مليار دولار سنويًا ويمكن دفع ثمنها بالكامل تقريبًا عن طريق استبدال معظم أو كل برامج الفقر الحالية لدينا .
من خلال هذه السياسة البسيطة، يمكننا تحقيق العديد من الأهداف لكل من اليسار واليمين. سيتم القضاء على الفقر بين عشية وضحاها. سيتم إزالة مثبطات العمل. سيتم تقليص البيروقراطية الأمريكية بشكل كبير. ستكون العائلات حرة في اتخاذ القرارات المالية دون تدخل الحكومة. وعلى المدى الطويل، سنوفر المال. يكلف فقر الطفل وحده 1.03 تريليون دولار أمريكي (نعم، تريليون) سنويًا. في القرن الحادي والعشرين، القضاء على الفقر ليس معقدًا، ولكننا نعمل بهذا الاتجاه بأسوأ طريقة ممكنة
من ليا هاميلتون / مترجم من احمد الباز
عن المؤلف:
ليا هاملتن أستاذة مساعدة في الخدمة الاجتماعية في جامعة ولاية أبالاتشي . حصلت على شهادة البكالوريوس في العلوم من جامعة ولاية ميتروبوليتان في دنفر ودرجة الماجستير من جامعة دنفر ودكتوراه في السياسة العامة من جامعة أركنساس. عملت كعاملة في مجال رعاية الحضانة ومدربة لمدة خمس سنوات في دنفر، كولورادو. تشمل الاهتمامات البحثية للدكتور هاملتون الفقر والعدالة الاقتصادية والسياسة الاجتماعية.
Title: Why Welfare Doesn’t Work: And What We Should Do Instead
Original article
by Tyler Prochazka | Apr 17, 2023 | News
TAIPEI, Taiwan – On March 11 and 12, UBI Taiwan hosted a national bilingual high school debate tournament at National Chengchi University (NCCU). Over 100 students from local and international schools across Taiwan participated in the event, which featured both English and Chinese debate sections.
The debate focused on whether Taiwan should enact an Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) system. Students presented cases discussing the feasibility, necessity, and efficiency of UBI. Inflation was a common concern on the con side, while expanding opportunities for Taiwanese citizens, such as starting businesses, was a popular argument on the pro side.
The Chinese final round saw the pro side win, arguing that the con side could not specifically identify why Taiwan did not have enough money to support both UBI and other essential programs. In the English final round, the con side emerged victorious, based on the idea that inflation and feasibility could present problems for implementing UBI in Taiwan.
Many students expressed their gratitude for the platform to speak on issues that mattered to them. For some, it was their first time studying UBI, and they found the experience to be a valuable learning opportunity to explore the future of Taiwan’s social services.
UBI Taiwan founder Tyler Prochazka addressed the audience at the end of the event, discussing the fear of automation with the rise of ChatGPT. He also highlighted the pressing issues in Taiwan that merit discussing UBI, such as helping parents raise their children, especially single parents. Prochazka argued that a program providing an unconditional basic income to parents with children could feasibly be implemented now, citing numerous studies showing the benefits outweigh the costs.
“I believe that by coming together to have these discussions, we can better understand the potential of a UBI and how it can benefit Taiwan’s society and our economy,” Prochazka said.
Allen Chen, co-founder of Lead for Taiwan, emphasized the importance of debate in addressing issues affecting Taiwan’s future. He encouraged students to take their academic experience and make a change in the real world.
The event was a milestone in promoting bilingual debate competitions in Taiwan, with participants from schools such as Kaohsiung and Taipei American School, Hsin Chuang High School, Wego High School, and Chien Kuo High School. This was the first competition of its kind in Taiwan, bringing English and Chinese divisions together in a tournament that was free for students to participate in.
The judges of the competition had diverse international backgrounds, including renowned lawyers, United Nations consultants, and top global business consultants, providing valuable real-world feedback to the participants.
NCCU’s International College of Innovation provided support and the venue, while Ascent Academy sponsored the event financially to expand debate opportunities across Taiwan. Taiwan’s Chinese Debate Promotion Association (CDPA), which is well-known in Taiwan for its national debate tournaments, administered the competition.
UBI Taiwan’s chairman Jiakuan Su said he hopes to continue hosting national bilingual debate competitions in the future, providing students throughout Taiwan with the opportunity to engage in debate activities and gain a deeper understanding of social issues.
“What I saw in this competition was not just about discussing common issues of basic income, but more about the students’ imagination of the future of our social welfare system,” Su said. “As an audience member, I was deeply moved by their speeches and I hope this experience can be an important component of their development into engaged citizens.”
by Guest Contributor | Mar 15, 2023 | News
By: Nika Soon-Shiong, Founder and Executive Director, Fund for Guaranteed Income
Less than an hour’s drive from the pristine homes of Beverly Hills, the tree-lined campuses of UCLA, and the booming heart of the entertainment industry, Compton faces an economic crisis. Of its 100,000 residents, 19.5% are living at or below the federal poverty line, compared to 11.6% nationally.
In the absence of well-paying jobs, its residents – 30% of whom are Black and 68%, Latinx – are ever vulnerable to the willful neglect of our threadbare safety net. Many are unbanked, uninsured, and at the height of the pandemic, one in five was unemployed. While Hollywood has capitalized on an image of Compton as the “murder capital of the United States,” profited off of Compton’s talent, its real story is one of resilience – a bold demand for dignity in the face of an illusory American dream.
In 2020, Former Compton Mayor Aja Brown called for an abolition of poverty in the United States. Building on the ideological foundation laid by Dr. Martin Luther King, she explained that this was neither niche nor “radical,” but a politics of care rooted in decades of empirical research. Since that day, we at the Fund For Guaranteed Income (F4GI) have worked tirelessly to advance that vision: building and scaling the technological infrastructure needed to disperse cash payments broadly, including to people historically excluded from the welfare state like undocumented and formerly incarcerated individuals.
Beyond economics and the pursuit of good public policy, our work is deeply human.
Our implementation of guaranteed income pilots began with the Compton Pledge, a two-year program supporting 800 low-income families in the cultural heart of California. Since launch, it has distributed $6 million out of a total allocated $10.2 million, which the Jain Family Institute projects will close 70% of the racial wealth gap for the average participating family. Additionally, The Compton Pledge has brought calls on the government to “pilot programs for universal basic income” into the national mainstream. Collaborating with independent researchers to study the impact of raising the income floor, we have been able to see first-hand the benefit of these cash flows on employment opportunities, mental and physical health, and the strength of these communities.
A mother of two with chronic illness was able to afford her medications; a woman subsisting on poverty wages was able to pay her bills, then invest the incremental time on finishing her degree. In essence, they were afforded the dignity we all deserve. We are actively working with participants to tell their stories, through narrative cohorts like The Voices of Compton Pledge (VOCP), reframing flawed and racist welfare stereotypes, and advancing a liberatory shift in paradigm.
Today, F4GI connects ~2000 low-income residents to cash, case management, and community resources monthly. New pilots have emerged in other cities, most recently Long Beach, where the Long Beach Pledge will provide 250 single-head families in one of the areas most devastated by COVID-19 with cash payments, $500 per month for one year, along with services like financial counseling intended to invest in their long term prosperity. It is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act, a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for Long Beach residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Long Beach has partnered with F4GI to create the program’s payment platform, which connects qualified participants to support services like financial counseling, in addition to distributing the monthly payments.
Our work aims to be as nimble and innovative as the systems cementing poverty are sinister. We will continue to advance the evidence base around accessible welfare systems, develop the tools which can create them, and build the coalitions that will demand them. Forever grateful to the City of Compton for allowing us to implement this initiative, we aim to continue expanding our pledge across city lines, and eventually the nation.
by Peter Knight | Mar 10, 2023 | Events, News
“This panel invites contributors to elaborate discussions concerning the Basic Income theory and its connection with problematics in the fields of Ethics, Politics, Sociology, and Economics. There are central issues for this panel, which aim for multidisciplinary debates that should stimulate UBI studies in various disciplines.
Therefore, questions that play a key role in this discussion are the following:
- How can a UBI project tell us more about the potential environmental impacts, and the rise of inequality, unemployment, and poverty around the world?
- Which social policies should be proposed in coordination with the UBI aiming for higher welfare levels and environmental stability?
- What are the ex-post consequences of a UBI policy, either in the short, medium or long-term perspectives? How would it affect educational, health, and political spectra, and how does it influence individual freedom?
- How does one build political and economic conditions for a UBI policy to be approved and how do long-lasting projects impact governmental spending regarding public services?
- Would a Basic Income project be beneficial to Portugal when faced with the Portuguese socio-economic structure and challenges?”
For details on the panel and its call for papers, click here.
