The State of the UBI Debate: Mapping the Arguments for and against UBI

Afscharian Dominic, Muliavka Viktoriia (), Ostrowski Marius S. () and Siegel Lukáš ()
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Afscharian Dominic: Institute of Political Science, University of Tübingen, Tuebingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Muliavka Viktoriia: Graduate School for Social Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-901, Warszawa, Poland
Ostrowski Marius S.: European University Institute, Fiesole, Toscana, Italy
Siegel Lukáš: Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia

Basic Income Studies, 2022, vol. 17, issue 2, 213-237

Abstract: This article provides a map of the UBI debate, structured into the main themes that guide and group the arguments on both sides. It finds that UBI’s supporters and opponents both draw on core principles of justice and freedom, focusing on need and poverty, discrimination and inequality, growth, social opportunity, individuality, and self-development. From an economic perspective, they both appeal to business concerns about efficiency, risk, flexibility, and consumption, as well as labour interests on work fulfilment, working conditions, remuneration, and bargaining. Likewise, they focus on political questions around welfare state reforms, redistribution, taxation and funding sources, democratic citizenship, and the prospects for cross-party policy coalitions. By providing an overview of the thematic pillars of the UBI debate, this article helps researchers and activists locate and orient themselves within the wider spectrum of opinion on UBI.

Keywords: UBI; thematic analysis; debate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1515/bis-2021-0030

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