Political Feasibility

Jong-sung You (), Nam Hoon Kang () and Seungju Lee ()
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Jong-sung You: Yonsei University, Korea Inequality Research Lab
Nam Hoon Kang: Hanshin University
Seungju Lee: Daegu University, Department of Social Welfare

Chapter 9 in UBI from Idea to Reality, 2026, pp 223-240 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract This chapter assesses the political feasibility of the proposed basic income system and outlines strategic pathways for its implementation. Grounded in the Median Voter Theorem, the authors argue that the proposal possesses high political viability because approximately 70% of the population—including the expanding precariat threatened by AI advancement—would emerge as net beneficiaries. However, the analysis frankly addresses significant obstacles that hinder this democratic potential, such as elite domination, status quo bias, and behavioral barriers like loss aversion and negative framing regarding tax increases. Empirically, the chapter analyzes the fluctuations in South Korean public opinion, noting how support surged during the COVID-19 pandemic but declined due to political polarization and tax fears prior to the 2022 presidential election. To navigate this complex landscape, the authors advocate for building a broad political coalition and suggest an incremental approach: transforming existing regressive tax expenditures into a Universal EITC and converting personal allowances into a basic income. Emphasizing “social learning” through deliberative polling, the chapter concludes that reframing the discourse from “Robin Hood”-style redistribution to the sharing of common wealth is essential.

Keywords: Political feasibility; Implementation strategies; Median Voter Theorem; Precariat; Net beneficiaries; Elite domination; Status quo bias; Loss aversion; Framing effect; Public opinion; Broad-based coalition; Incremental approach; Social learning; Policy experiment; Deliberative polling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:etbchp:978-3-032-26200-4_9

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-26200-4_9

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