This book provides a state-of-the-art overview of the popularity of basic income among the general public. Using data from a wide array of public opinion polls conducted in different countries and years, the book first charts popular support for the ideal-typical version of basic income, broadly defined as a "periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement”. On top of that, the book maps popular support for the many other, differently designed varieties of basic income that are part of real-world proposals, pilots, and experiments – including, for example, a participation income, a negative income tax, and a stakeholder grant. By investigating how and why support for different types of basic income varies across countries, evolves over time, and differs between individuals with different characteristics, this book offers crucial information about the political constituencies that can be mobilized in favor of (or against) the introduction of basic income, thereby contributing to our knowledge on the political feasibility of basic income.
Author(s): Tijs Laenen
Series: Exploring the Basic Income Guarantee
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 365
City: Cham
Preface
Acknowledgements
Praise for The Popularity of Basic Income
Contents
About the Author
Country Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction: How Popular Is Basic Income?
1.1 Basic Income: From a Disarmingly Simple Idea to a Deceptively Simple One
1.1.1 The Ideal-Typical Basic Income
1.1.2 The History of the Basic Income Family
1.1.3 The Policy Design Dimensions of Basic Income
1.2 The Popularity of Basic Income
1.2.1 The Importance of Studying the Popularity of Basic Income
1.2.2 How to Study Popular Support for Basic Income
1.2.3 Outline of the Book
References
2 Popular Support for the Ideal-Typical Basic Income
2.1 Across the Board
2.1.1 The First Opinion Polls on Basic Income
2.1.2 Polls with More-Detailed Definitions of Basic Income
2.1.3 The Rise of Cross-National Polls on Basic Income
2.1.4 Polls About Changes over Time in Support for Basic Income
2.2 Individual Differences
2.2.1 Age
2.2.2 Gender
2.2.3 Household Composition
2.2.4 Education
2.2.5 Income
2.2.6 Labour Market Status
2.2.7 Trade Union Membership
2.2.8 Political Ideology
2.2.9 Welfare Deservingness Perceptions
2.2.10 Welfare Performance Evaluations
References
3 Popular Support for Differently Designed Varieties of Basic Income
3.1 Across the Board
3.1.1 Universality
3.1.2 Conditionality
3.1.3 Uniformity
3.1.4 Generosity
3.1.5 Integration
3.1.6 Financing
3.1.7 Other Policy Design Dimensions
3.1.8 Some Relevant Policy Design Combinations
3.2 Individual Differences
3.2.1 Age
3.2.2 Gender
3.2.3 Income
3.2.4 Political Ideology
3.2.5 Voting Intentions
3.2.6 Trade Union Membership
3.2.7 Welfare Performance Evaluations
3.2.8 Benefit Recipiency
3.2.9 COVID-19 Experiences
References
4 Reasons for Supporting or Opposing Basic Income
4.1 Across-the-Board
4.1.1 Evidence from Traditional Opinion Polls
4.1.2 Evidence from Survey Experiments
4.1.3 Evidence from Qualitative Research
4.2 Individual Differences
4.2.1 Age
4.2.2 Gender
4.2.3 Political Ideology
References
5 Conclusion: Implications for the Political Feasibility of Basic Income
5.1 Eight Political Challenges and Their Opportunities
5.1.1 Political Opportunity Costs
5.1.2 The Problem of Cheap Support
5.1.3 The Universality-Unconditionality Impasse
5.1.4 Demand-Capacity Conflicts
5.1.5 Age Politics
5.1.6 Class Politics
5.1.7 Party Politics
5.1.8 Negativity Bias
5.2 A Research Agenda
5.2.1 Exploring the ‘Causes’ of Support for Basic Income
5.2.2 Measuring Support for Basic Income
5.2.3 Exploring the ‘Consequences’ of Support for Basic Income
References
Appendices
Appendix 1: The Survey Experiments in Chapter 3
Appendix 2: The Introductory Text in the Survey Experiment by Liebig and Mau
Appendix 3: Interaction Between Generosity and Integration, by Benefit Recipiency
Appendix 4: The ‘Policy Outcomes Part’ of the BABEL Experiment
Appendix 5: Gender Differences in the Reasons to Support or Oppose Basic Income
References
Index
