Basic Income Program Research Articles

Basic income and its applicability in Turkey

AbstractIn search of justice in income distribution and easy access to necessities by everyone, basic income (BI) has become one of the main topics of conversation. However, there is no comprehensive study on the cost and effect of BI in Turkey. This study aims to set a theoretical framework for BI, compare different views on the topic, evaluate implementations from the world, and analyze the feasibility of a BI program in Turkey by estimating its costs and distributional consequences using a tax–benefit microsimulation. The results show that, although it improves the income distribution, implementing a basic income scheme financed by income tax would impose a significant burden on the upper half of the income distribution due to widespread poverty and income inequality. In the baseline, individual-based scenario, every individual aged 15 or above is granted a BI equal to the poverty line, while children below age 15 are granted 30 percent of this amount. This plan costs 17.77 percent of the gross domestic product and it is covered by multiplying current income tax by 3.54. Implementation of this plan decreases the poverty rate from 12.43 percent to zero and the Gini index from 0.388 to 0.181.

Why We Must Address Poverty

Why We Must Address Poverty

HUMBLE PIE IS COLD COMFORT Comment on M. Sandel’s The Tyranny of Merit

HUMBLE PIE IS COLD COMFORT Comment on M. Sandel’s <i>The Tyranny of Merit</i>

Covering All the Basics: Reforms for a More Just Society

On July 3, 2018, the Government of British Columbia announced the creation of an expert committee to “test the feasibility of a basic income in BC and help find ways to make life better for British Columbians.” This is the report of that committee, the Expert Panel on Basic Income. Through this report, we endeavour to present comprehensive, consistent, and evidence-based advice to the B.C. government in response to the tasks set out in the terms of reference. We do this in six parts, which: introduce our task and provide a summary of the report; present a justice-based framework within which we can analyze the alternatives; provide background information used throughout the report ; describe and analyze potential basic income programs; present our vision for the future and a set of recommendations that will move B.C. on the path toward that vision.

Universal Basic Income in Developing Countries: Pitfalls and Alternatives

We study the macroeconomic and social effects of Universal Basic Income (UBI) programs in a developing economy, comparing them with policies that condition cash transfers on household characteristics (CCT). We construct a dynastic heterogeneous-agent model with human capital investment and choice of labor effort and calibrate it to Brazilian data. In the short run, UBI alleviates poverty and increases the welfare of the poor. Over time, however, income falls and poverty and inequality increase since investments in physical and human capital decrease along with labor supply. In most dimensions, CCT programs outperform UBI policies, largely due to school enrollment requirements.

An exploratory study of basic income fidelity index

AbstractThere is growing interest in adopting basic income as a new social protection policy in many countries. South Korea is no exception. There have been heated discussions on the benefits and costs of adopting basic income as a universal income support program among policy makers and academics in South Korea. However, one of the problems in the discourse of basic income discussion in South Korea has been a lack of clear definition of basic income. In this study, we develop a basic income fidelity index (BIFI) that can be applied to basic income programs to show how fully a program fits to the basic income concept. Such an index can be useful in making the terminologies and concepts of basic income clearer. We test feasibility of BIFI by applying it to four different case examples of basic income; Alaska Permanent Fund, UK Child Trust Fund, Switzerland’s Basic Income Plan, and Finland’s Basic Income Experiment. We show BIFI can be a useful tool to differentiate various types of basic income. It can be also used to identify strengths and weaknesses of a basic income scheme.

The Gendered Poverty Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Colombia.

Everyone, across borders, race and gender, is affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic—but not equally. In this paper, we examine a burgeoning new literature discussing the employment effects of COVID-19. We explore the extent to which COVID-19 will exacerbate gendered employment disparities, income generation gaps, and, ultimately, poverty gaps, using a simple microsimulation methodology. We test our approach in Colombia, which has implemented an unparalleled number of mitigation measures and has reopened its economy earlier than regional neighbors. We find that COVID-19 increases the poverty headcount to a daunting degree (between 3.0 and 9.1 pp increases). Mitigation measures vary considerably in their individual impact (up to 0.9 pp poverty reduction). A fiscally neutral Universal Basic Income program would cause larger poverty reductions. Importantly, both men and women report similar poverty impacts from the pandemic and mitigation policies, reflecting the magnitude of the downturn, the design of interventions and our own poverty measure.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1057/s41287-020-00328-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Renda Básica Permanente: uma utopia possível

Conforme cresce a consciência acerca do aprofundamento do fosso de desigualdade e outros problemas estruturais contemporâneos, robustecem-se experimentos, projetos e a discussão sobre programas de renda básica. Com a eclosão da crise econômica provocada pela pandemia de COVID-19, no Brasil, como em outros países, foi implantado programa de auxílio emergencial, de curta duração (Lei 13.982/2020). A adoção dessa medida estimula o debate em torno da ideia de renda básica permanente como política pública. Examinadas brevemente as origens e diferentes versões da proposta de renda básica ao longo da história moderna, discutem-se os três mitos difundidos em torno de programas de renda básica: gerariam desestímulo ao trabalho, seu financiamento seria inviável e esbarrariam em insuperável complexidade e resistência política. Apresentam-se evidências que contrariam tais mitos, concluindo que o país dispõe de recursos financeiros e instituições para garantir renda mínima permanente a todos os brasileiros em condições de vulnerabilidade.

The Effects of Transfer Programs on Childless Adults: Evidence from Food Stamps

Traditional transfer programs in the United States provide few benefits to childless adults, so little is known about the effects of these policies on able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). I examine a novel source of variation in the SNAP (Food Stamps) program, in which unemployed ABAWDs have differential eligibility based a discontinuity in their local area's unemployment rate. I find causal evidence that removing SNAP work requirements decreases hours worked, but also reduces homelessness and property crimes. These findings help inform debates about basic income programs and related policies.

Moedas complementares digitais e políticas públicas durante a crise da COVID-19

Resumo Programas de renda básica têm sido utilizados em todo o mundo como uma ferramenta para mitigar os efeitos adversos da crise da COVID-19. No Brasil, a implementação de iniciativas federais de renda básica emergencial (RBE) enfrenta um duplo desafio: a logística de distribuição de dinheiro e os critérios de elegibilidade dos cidadãos. No entanto, iniciativas de moedas complementares existem há muitos anos no Brasil, estando associadas especialmente aos bancos comunitários, os quais operam no nível local e possuem conhecimento mais aprofundado sobre as necessidades dos moradores. Este artigo analisa o uso de moedas digitais complementares no enfrentamento de desafios de distribuição de renda. Apresentamos o caso da moeda complementar digital Mumbuca E-Dinheiro, adotada pelo município de Maricá (RJ). Discutimos como esta iniciativa permitiu a distribuição de renda de forma rápida e segura com o objetivo de mitigar os efeitos da pandemia da COVID-19 no Brasil. Sugerimos que, no momento atual, a RBE poderia ser paga através do E-dinheiro, começando pelos municípios nos quais ele já atua e depois se expandindo para os demais. A interoperabilidade com outros atores do ecossistema de pagamentos e articulações com governos locais são medidas adicionais para dar escala ao uso das moedas complementares digitais no combate à crise do coronavírus.

БЕЗУСЛОВНЫЙ БАЗОВЫЙ ДОХОД В КАЛИНИНГРАДСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ: МИФ ИЛИ РЕАЛЬНОСТЬ

In this article the theory and practice of universal basic income are considered. The main signs and goals of introducing an unconditional basic income are revealed. The Yalland Non-Profit Fund universal basic income program is analyzed. As a result of the analysis, the author showed that the Yalland Program is not related to unconditional basic income in terms of the identified essential characteristics of this mechanism.

Modeling the effect of paying basic income to unemployed citizens of the Russian Federation

The substantiation of the mechanism of payment of temporary basic income for unemployed Russian citizens registered with the state employment service is proposed. The introduction of this mechanism is considered as a possible experiment for testing transitional forms of universal basic income in the Russian Federation. The modeling was carried out using the R1-4 simulation expert model of GDP reproduction of the Russian economy, which is adapted to assess the effect and costs of the proposed hypothetical “Conditional Basic Income (CBI) Program”. The functioning of the CBI Program after one-time start-up costs for its launch is ensured in the future by the annual multiplicative increase in the consolidated budget income of the Russian Federation.

Universal Basic Income and the Natural Environment: Theory and Policy

Abstract We analyze the environmental implications of basic income programs through literature review, government documents, pilot studies, and interviews eliciting expert knowledge. We consider existing knowledge and then use a grounded approach to produce theory on the relationship between a basic income guarantee and environmental protection/damage. We find that very little empirical or theoretical work has been done on this relationship and that theoretical arguments can be made for both positive and negative environmental impacts. Ultimately, this implies, the environmental impact of a basic income program will be dependent on program design. These insights allow us to generate a toolkit of policy proposals to assist in the development of green basic income programs via either conditions, additions, or complements.

Guaranteed Nonlabor Income and Labor Supply: The Effect of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend

Abstract One peculiar source of nonlabor income that has not been extensively studied for its effect on labor supply is the Alaska Permanent Fund (APF) dividend. This is somewhat surprising given the recent policy focus on Guaranteed Basic Income programs. An annual lump-sum payment, the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) is available to almost all Alaska residents, is clearly exogenous with respect to work effort, and – while relatively predictable – varies over time and across households (since it increases linearly with family size). This paper estimates the nonlabor income elasticity of labor supply using exogenous variation from the Alaskan PFD and data from the American Community Survey (ACS). The analysis finds that men have elasticities between −0.15 and −0.10, depending on the specification. Single women have elasticities between −0.14 and −0.09, while married women have somewhat larger elasticities between −0.18 and −0.11.

농민기본소득제 도입에 관한 탐색적 연구 - 충청남도를 중심으로 -

농민기본소득제 도입에 관한 탐색적 연구 - 충청남도를 중심으로 -

Basic Income, Full Employment, and Social Provisioning: Some Polanyian/Keynesian Insights

:The purpose of this article is to offer a Polanyian perspective on the issue of guaranteed income (GI). In analyzing the debate over the Speenhamland system, especially as Karl Polanyi ([1944] 2001) describes it in The Great Transformation, he offered an important criticism of a GI program that some contemporary Polanyian economists have been struggling to come to terms with in their writings. Instead of defending a GI policy by seeking to reject Polanyi’s analysis of the problem, I suggest that we should consider embracing Polanyi’s concern by proposing a comprehensive twin policy that would complement a basic income program with a Keynesian full employment commitment.

A Lockean Argument for Basic Income

Libertarians should not reject the goal of establishing a global basic income program. There are strong Lockean considerations that favor such a program. This article explains a conception of equal share left-libertarianism that is supported by the rights of full self-ownership and world ownership. It argues that an appropriately constructed basic income program would be a key institution for promoting those rights.

Basic Income or Caretaker Benefits?

Feminists have long taken the position that society should commit itself to the support of individuals who care for others. In this view, governments should subsidize "caretaking units," consisting of adults supporting dependents in need of care and assistance. This article undertakes to assess a proposal for the public support of caretaking units, as set forth by Anne Alstott in her book No Exit, and to compare that proposal to the alternative of a guaranteed basic income for all. By using an illustrative example, the article concludes that the caretaker benefit is less desirable than a basic income program. Caretaker benefits reward people who engage in premature and irresponsible childbearing at the expense of those who take costly steps to prepare themselves to be good parents and to achieve self-support before having children. By flouting basic principles of fairness, the resulting perverse priorities become a serious shortcoming of Alstott's proposed caretaker benefit program. In contrast, a guaranteed income offers subsidies to parents and nonparents alike, and thus achieves greater neutrality among reproductive choices.

La introducción de la renta básica en España

As a result of a first experience in the Basque Country, in the 90’s the introduction of programs of income support becomes general in Spain, along the line of the French minimum income for insertion (RMI). Trying to solve the problems entailed by these programs, in the last years some new proposals were outlined. These proposals suggest sustaining the system of income support, more than on traditional welfare benefits, on a universal, individual and unconditional grant. This paper analyses the economic implications of the development of a basic income program in Spain. It concludes with the presentation of a concrete proposal of income support program inspired on the principles of the basic income.