The Case for Universal Basic Income by Louise Haagh
Social Security for everybody? Pundits, politicians and economists from across the spectrum have proposed Universal Basic Income in one form or another. British academic Louise Haagh argues that a guaranteed income for every citizen should be foundational to building more democratic societies across the globe by providing every individual with basic material security. In some formulations, UBI would eliminate the bureaucratic welfare state and undercut the social divisions it engenders. UBI would not replace wage income—only the least able or ambitious would depend entirely on it. Haagh proposes that the freedom born of economic security would encourage innovation by freeing people from dependance on unfulfilling jobs.
