Thursday, January 30, 2014

A Universal Basic Income: Conservative, Progressive, and Libertarian Perspectives (Part 3 of a Series)

The idea of a universal basic income (UBI) has been getting a lot of attention recently, sparked in part by the Swiss decision to hold a referendum on the idea. A UBI differs from other income support policies in that it provides a cash grant, large enough to meet basic needs of living, to every member of society, regardless of other sources of income.

The first post in this series compared a UBI to other income support policies in terms of effectiveness in reducing poverty, work incentives, targeting, and administrative efficiency. The second post argued that a UBI with a per person grant approaching current official poverty thresholds would be affordable without increasing the federal budget deficit, raising marginal tax rates, or radically raiding the fortunes of the rich. This third post looks at the varying perspectives of conservatives, progressives, and libertarians, explaining why there are both supporters and opponents of a UBI in each camp.>>>Read more

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