The global Basic Income debate is now widespread, diverse, and relatively well resourced by academic and more popular literature: but that does not mean that there is universal agreement about every topic of discussion. In fact, there is still a quite heated debate about some of the most basic questions, such as ‘What is a Basic Income?’ ‘What’s the point?’, and ‘Is it feasible?’
This book is not yet another general introduction to Basic Income. There are already plenty of those. It is entirely about those aspects of the debate about which there is most discussion and sometimes the most conflict. It is based on conference papers, previously published chapters, and other previously published articles, working papers, and reports: material that has already benefited from consultation and debate, as is appropriate for a book about aspects of a debate that are the subject of frequent consultation and discussion.
Author(s): Malcolm Torry
Series: Exploring the Basic Income Guarantee
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 348
City: Cham
Preface
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Part I Introduction
1 Basic Income: What, Why, and How?
Introduction
The Plan of the Book
Reference
Part II What is a Basic Income?
2 Defining Basic Income
Introduction
Different Ways of Defining
Usage
Definition by Characteristics
ARecognised Authority
Defining ‘Basic Income’
The Amount of the Payment
‘Universal’, ‘unconditional’, ‘citizen’s’, ‘guarantee’
Implications for the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN, 2022b)
Conclusion
Appendix
References
3 ‘Unconditional’ and ‘universal’: Definitions and Applications
Introduction
Definitions
Usage
Defining ‘unconditional’ in Relation to Its Use
Defining ‘universal’ in Relation to Its Use
Definition by Characteristics
A Recognised Authority
Policy Implications
Different Conditionalities Imply Different Behaviours
The Basic Income Debate
References
4 Basic Income and Basic Income Schemes: Definitions and Details
Introduction
Basic Income, and Basic Income Schemes
Rothstein v. Torry
Basic Income and Minimum Income Guarantee
Pitts et al. v. Torry
Conclusion
Appendix
References
Part III Why Does Basic Income Matter?
5 Basic Income the Preserver and Transformation of Capitalism
Introduction
Different Meanings of ‘capitalism’
Capitalism Understood as ‘the possession of capital or wealth’
Capitalism Understood as ‘an economic system in which private capital or wealth is used in the production or distribution of goods, and prices are determined mainly in a free market’
Capitalism as ‘the dominance of private owners of capital and of production for profit’
Conclusion
References
6 An Essential Dimension of the Social Minimum
Introduction
Dimensions
Resources Required for a ‘minimally decent life’
Characteristics of the Resources
The Construction of a Social Minimum Policy Regime
Conclusion
References
Part IV How Might a Basic Income Happen?
7 Only for Children?
Introduction
Terminology
The UK’s Family Allowance and Child Benefit
Eleanor Rathbone’s Family Endowment Society
William Beveridge and his Report
The Family Allowance Act 1945: Why Did It Happen?
The Parliamentary Debate
The Rediscovery of Poverty During the 1960s, and the Birth of Child Benefit
Why Did Child Benefit Happen?
Preserving Child Benefit
Tax Credits
Juliet Rhys Williams’ Minority Report
Like Mother, Like Son
Committees of Enquiry
Citizen’s Pension
Discussion
Bibliography
8 A Basic Income is Feasible: But What Do We Mean by ‘Feasible’?
Introduction
Financial Feasibility
Psychological Feasibility
Institutional Feasibility
Behavioural Feasibility
Political Feasibility
Political Ideologies
The Policy Process
Relationships Between Feasibilities
Conclusion
References
9 Objections and Responses
Introduction
Basic Income: Both Feasible and Useful
Basic Income and Basic Income Schemes
Speenhamland, Automation, and Basic Income
References
10 Testing Different Routes to a Basic Income Scheme
Introduction
Financial Feasibility
Feasibility Tests
Five Routes to Implementation
Testing the Five Routes to Implementation
(a) A Basic Income for Everyone Legally Resident in a Country, Implemented all in One Go, with at the Same Time the Abolition of the Existing Social Security System
(b) A Basic Income for Everyone Legally Resident, Implemented All in One Go, with the Existing Social Security System Retained
(c) A Basic Income for Everyone in a Particular Age Group, Followed by Other Age Groups
(d) A Pilot Project: A Basic Income for a Representative Sample of the Population in an Isolated Community
(e) A Single Age Group Pilot Project
Conclusion
Australia
References
11 Minimum Income Standards in the Basic Income Debate
Introduction
Basic Income
The Amount of the Payment
Minimum Income Standards
Basic Income, and Basic Income Schemes
An Adequate Basic Income, or an Adequate Basic Income Scheme?
Conclusion
References
12 Eurodividend: The Idea and the Details
Introduction
The Definition of Basic Income
The Definition of Eurodividend
Reasons for Establishing a Eurodividend
How Should the Eurodividend Be Funded?
Eurodividend and Eurodividend Scheme
Should the Level of the Eurodividend Vary from Country to Country?
An Unconditional Income for Every Individual
Conclusion
References
13 Do We Need Basic Income Experiments?
Introduction
‘Basic Income’
‘Basic Income’ and ‘Basic Income Scheme’
‘Experiment’ and ‘Pilot Project’
Basic Income Pilot Projects
The Conditions for Running a Genuine Basic Income Pilot Project in a Developed Country
Methods for Testing a Basic Income Scheme’s Financial Feasibility
What (If Anything) Justifies Basic Income Experiments?
Conclusion
References
Part V What, Why and How in the United Kingdom
14 Factors Influencing Political Decisions About Social Security Benefits in the UK
Introduction
Histories and Characteristics
Family Allowance
National Insurance and National Assistance
Universal Credit
Child Benefit
A National Minimum Wage
Future Possibilities
The Campaign for a Living Wage
Universal Benefits
Juliet and Brandon Rhys Williams
Arguments for Basic Income
Scenarios
Feasibility
Conclusions
References
15 Research and Education in the UK Basic Income Debate
Introduction
The Early History of the UK Basic Income Debate
The British Debate, 1942 to 2014
Research on the Financial Effects of Basic Income Schemes
The Debate Continues
Three Incidents
The Green Party General Election Manifesto, 2015
A Westminster Hall Debate
The Work and Pensions Committee Oral Hearing, 2017
Lessons from the Three Incidents
Conclusions
References
16 Microsimulation: A Personal Journey
Introduction
A Review of Earlier Empirical Work
The 2006 Project
The 2012 Project
The 2014 Project
The 2015 Project
The 2016 Project
The 2017 Project
The 2018 Project
The Standard Basic Income Scheme, 2019–2021
A Feasible Basic Income Scheme for 2021
Conclusions That We Can Draw in Relation to the 2021 Iteration of the Standard Scheme
Responses to Questions
Responses to Questions in 2019
Responses to Questions in 2020
Responses to Questions in 2021
Conclusions
References
Index
