Which Way Forward for Economic Security: Basic Income or Public Services?

Malleson Tom () and Calnitsky David ()
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Malleson Tom: Social Justice and Peace Studies, King’s University College – University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Calnitsky David: Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada

Basic Income Studies, 2021, vol. 16, issue 2, 125-167

Abstract: Economic insecurity is an endemic problem across the rich countries of the Global North. What is the solution? This paper compares and contrasts two major proposals: the conventional welfare state package of public services and regulations versus a basic income. By comparing and contrasting these systems in three different contexts – a “nightwatchman” context, a neoliberal context, and a social democratic context – and carefully modeling the monetary equivalence between them, we are able to provide a more precise and compelling comparison of the two systems than has yet been accomplished. We evaluate the two systems on the basis of economic security as well as a number of other important criteria, including the economic well-being of oppressed groups, power, carbon emissions, the gender division of labor, free time, social stigma, and transformative potential. We find that without a welfare state background, services and regulations are generally preferable for most vulnerable groups. However, as the welfare state develops, into a neoliberal or a social democratic context, basic income becomes a generally superior option.

Keywords: economic security; public services; basic income; justice; precariat (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E61 J48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bpj:bistud:v:16:y:2021:i:2:p:125-167:n:7

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DOI: 10.1515/bis-2021-0005

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