121
votes
Why should universal income be universal?
The problem of giving X to people earning much more than X is very easily solved by taking it away again through tax brackets.
The real motivation for the universal in UBI is a privacy and dignity ...
- 22k
111
votes
Instead of a Universal Basic Income program, why not implement a "Universal Basic Needs" program?
Different people have different needs. Determining those needs is difficult, expensive, and subjective. Universal basic income has been proposed as a simple solution that should work well enough for ...
- 1,457
88
votes
Why should universal income be universal?
Cost
The whole problem with UBI is financing it, and financing it would be a lot easier if we weren't wasting money giving 1000 dollars a month to a guy already making 6 figures....
When ...
- 1,634
59
votes
Instead of a Universal Basic Income program, why not implement a "Universal Basic Needs" program?
We’re already trying that, and it’s not working out so great
The original point of proposing Universal Basic Income, at least as proposed in the United States by people like Charles Murray, was to ...
- 15.6k
55
votes
Accepted
Shouldn’t conservatives embrace universal basic income?
Forget about names, except for PR purposes.
A clear-headed analyst looks that the net flow of money, now and in future entitlements. Call it "UBI" or "tax credit", call it "...
- 106k
38
votes
Why hasn't there been a stronger push for a job guarantee program, versus UBI?
There is no single conclusive "why" other than the boring and inane "because nobody enacted such laws... Because there is not enough political support compared to opposition for such a thing".
...
- 91.8k
29
votes
Why should universal income be universal?
If a basic income is not universal, we're essentially back at the current situation for most European countries: anybody who doesn't have a job, or only a part-time job with a salary below a certain ...
- 3,232
29
votes
Why should universal income be universal?
From the point of view of those running the system, the primary advantages of a universal basic income over means tested welfare or guaranteed income systems are transparency and efficiency of ...
- 21.1k
27
votes
Instead of a Universal Basic Income program, why not implement a "Universal Basic Needs" program?
Once upon a time, Germany did that in the form of Sozialhilfe, welfare payments for the needy. The Sozialhilfe system was supposed to make sure that all people had the minimum required to live in ...
- 106k
26
votes
Why should universal income be universal?
What you are describing is not Universal Basic Income. It is simply welfare, just like it already exists in most of europe and north america (the execution may differ, but the idea of "giving ...
- 1,502
24
votes
What major flaws does this particular Universal Basic Income model have, if any?
My idea is an 80% tax on all goods and services produced by automation
How will you know what goods and services are produced by automation? In fact, what is automation? Consider
You deliver ...
- 89.3k
16
votes
Why should universal income be universal?
Standard Welfare systems create criminals.
Many countries have Welfare systems where they try to help those who need help, and ONLY those who need help.
Of course, some people will try to appear ...
- 1,736
15
votes
Accepted
What are the cons for Universal Basic Income being a solution to automation?
What are the cons of UBI being a solution to automation?
Automation is not, in and of itself, a problem. It does not need to be "solved" as such. Some of the side effects of automation can be ...
- 89.3k
15
votes
Accepted
What major flaws does this particular Universal Basic Income model have, if any?
This is too long for a comment.
The reply comment you quote above contains a popular fallacy: that workers must make enough to buy the goods they are producing. This concept has intuitive appeal but ...
- 8,657
15
votes
Why hasn't there been a stronger push for a job guarantee program, versus UBI?
Political thinking
Current western political thinking tends to be in favour of free market economics and austerity as general principles. from this perspective the following issues arise with job ...
- 3,186
14
votes
Accepted
Why did Friedrich Hayek support Universal Basic Income
Hayek never explained his support for UBS outright. However, it's unquestionable that he firmly supported UBS.
The closest we come to an explanation is a quote from "The Public Sector and the Private ...
- 91.8k
14
votes
Shouldn’t conservatives embrace universal basic income?
Some conservatives do support basic income.
One of the earliest proponents of basic income in the United States was Charles Murray, who supported the idea before its recent surge in popularity. ...
- 15.6k
12
votes
Instead of a Universal Basic Income program, why not implement a "Universal Basic Needs" program?
Universal Basic Income is the idea that everyone receives some basic income so that poverty and inequality can be prevented, especially in cases of market failures and automation.
No. It is intended ...
- 7,903
11
votes
What proportion of unemployment benefit spending actually goes to the unemployed?
The answer by RickSmith correctly points out that the federal appropriations that cover most of the administrative costs of unemployment insurance have been around $2.5-2.6 billion in recent years. ...
- 14.8k
9
votes
Why should universal income be universal?
The problem is that removing the basic income at an income threshold essentially makes it prohibitive to increase your income. E.g. in your example, anyone below $50,000 gets a supplement of $12,000. ...
- 89.3k
8
votes
Did any Basic Income Guarantee proposals/models incorporate "live where you can afford" angle?
Part of the problem of forcing people to move to cheaper areas is that it undermines one of the key advantages of UBI.
One of the arguments behind introducing a basic income is that it will enable ...
- 189
8
votes
Accepted
Why did Switzerland's referendum about basic income proponents propose actual amounts?
Process 1:
Propose UBI without amount.
Voter like me (who isn't wholly opposed to low level UBI if done right) thinking:
If the proposal passes, chances are proponents will then work the system - ...
- 91.8k
8
votes
Why did Switzerland's referendum about basic income proponents propose actual amounts?
Because people asked or would ask.
If you don't propose amounts, then people arguing against it could pick their own levels. For example, they could set the basic income at the median or average ...
- 89.3k
8
votes
Instead of a Universal Basic Income program, why not implement a "Universal Basic Needs" program?
There are a few reasons why Universal Basic Income (UBI) is being talked about more and more and why simply giving "basic needs" is not viable. Firstly everyone's needs are somewhat different, this is ...
- 181
8
votes
Instead of a Universal Basic Income program, why not implement a "Universal Basic Needs" program?
The primary benefit of UBI is that the exchange is free of shame and control.
One of the problems of needs-based social security is that it takes the choice away from the people receiving the help. ...
- 219
8
votes
Instead of a Universal Basic Income program, why not implement a "Universal Basic Needs" program?
There are many reasons why universal basic income is much better than what you propose which is essentially the idea of communism (I mean that without judgement).
By providing the means of exchange, ...
- 5,343
7
votes
What do you call it when everyone gets an equal vote on how taxes are spent?
Direct democracy
This is a kind of direct democracy, albeit limited to just budgetary concerns and with suffrage limited to tax filers.
I don't know of a more precise name, as I haven't seen this ...
- 89.3k
7
votes
What are the reasons for people to oppose Basic Income Guarantee?
It is a disincentive to work. Opponents argue the need to work to survive is eliminated if everyone has their basic needs met, reducing productivity.
It is an additional tax burden on working ...
- 584
7
votes
Accepted
Can providing a basic income to a subset of poor citizens benefit the government politically?
The following are studies of the effects of conditional transfers in Brazil and Mexico, which was so far the most relevant information I have found. Both of these are in the context of popularly ...
- 271
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible