The present publication constitutively expands the field of discourse on the topic of basic income and explores the possibilities of its introduction as well as the opportunities and risks. Although all visionary proposals for an unconditional basic income (BGE) have so far not been implemented politically, at least in democratically constituted welfare states, the question of implementation or the conditions for success and the identification of possible blockades have only been dealt with marginally. Recent publications on a BGE also show this political-institutional "blindness" and do not address enough the reasons for the failure so far. Without a transfer strategy, however, the idea will fail in Germany due to such implementation naivety. In this book, therefore, the state of the debate on basic income is developed further to the extent that it is integrated into welfare-state development processes and current challenges for the "safeguarding of social security". In addition, a social-scientific classification of hitherto visionary guarantee elements of a basic income model is undertaken, linking up with the "silent" change to a socially investing state.
Author(s): Rolf G. Heinze, Jürgen Schupp
Publisher: Springer VS
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 286
City: Wiesbaden
Foreword
Contents
About the Authors
Contents
1: Crises as a Focal Point for Socio-Economic Problems
1.1 The Corona Pandemic as a Catalyst for Welfare State Transformation
1.2 Narratives and Conjunctures of the Public and Academic Debate on Basic Income
1.3 Main Forms and Alternatives of a Basic Security System
1.4 Open Questions and Probable or at Least Possible Obstacles on the Way to a UBI
1.5 Legitimacy Problems of Contribution Financed Welfare State Models and Grown Consent to a UBI
1.6 The Relationship of the Parties Represented in the Bundestag to the BGE
1.7 Civil Society Movements and Organisations to Test a UBI
2: Conjunctures of the Welfare State Crisis: The Cracks Are Deepening
2.1 Basic Architecture of the Welfare State
2.2 Excursus: A Look Back to the Future
2.3 Constancy and Dynamics: Concepts of Restructuring and Reform for Social Security
2.4 Ways Out of the Employment Crisis: Reform Approaches since the Red-Green Government Era
2.5 Basic Income Reaches the Governing Parties
2.6 Lessons from the “Low-Condition” Basic Income Scheme
3: The Silent Transformation to the Transfer- and Investment State
3.1 Socio-economic Classification
3.2 The Expansion of the Public Sector and Welfare State Services
3.3 The Pendulum Swings Back or: The Market Model Fragments
3.4 Specifics of the German Social, Health and Care Sector
3.5 Towards a Hybrid Welfare Mix
4: From “Muddling through” to Policy Change: Obstacles and Success Factors
4.1 The Tenacious Transformation of the Traditional Welfare State
4.2 Differentiated Policy Flows and Political-Organisational Silos
4.3 Institutional Rigidities Instead of Sustainable Reorganisation: The Example of Demographic and Pension Policy
4.4 Approaches to a Basic Income: On the Role of Scientific Policy Advice and Policy Management
5: Risks of Updating the Status Quo Without a Change in Strategy
5.1 Social Change: Individualisation, Singularisation
5.2 Changes in the World of Work and Digitalisation
5.3 The Role of Minimum Wages
5.4 Breaks in the Socio-political Model of the Community of Need
6: Conclusion and Outlook: Universalist Welfare State as an Emancipatory Guiding Model
6.1 Systematic Expansion of the Basic Income Discourse
6.2 Growing Time, Individual Gains in Freedom and New Communitisation
6.3 Services of General Interest and Collective Infrastructure as a Public Task
6.4 Implementation Options (Basic Child Allowance)
6.5 Basic Guaranteed Income in the Election Programmes of the Parties Represented in the Bundestag
6.6 Consumption Tax or Money Transaction Taxation
6.7 Linking Climate and Social Policy (CO2 Tax)
6.8 Last but Not Least: Constructive Forms for Overcoming Blockades in Thinking and Discussion
References
