Definition

A Basic Income is a regular payment, payable to all, which is sufficient to provide people with a standard of living above the poverty line.

Introduction

A standard Basic Income scheme has the following features:

• It is a regular cash payment. Services provided in kind may add up to a "social wage" but they are not a basic income.
• Neither is it a one-off lump sum such as as stakeholder grant. The arguments between advocates of a basic income and those who argue for a Stakeholder Grant are set out here.
• It is paid to everyone within a nation state or other political unit. If payment is restricted to those who are legal citizens then it is sometimes termed citizen's income. Some variants exclude children, pensioners and prisoners.
• It is paid to the individual rather than the household.
• It is paid at a flat rate to both rich and poor. There is no means test - Basic income is not withdrawn as other income rises. For more details of schemes which taper the payment as income rises please visit the Tax Credit and Negative Income Taxes section.
• It is paid regardless of employment of family status - to the unemployed, the employed, to the childless and those and bringing up children, to students, surfers and tramps. Proposals have also been put forward to restrict payment only to those engaged in "productive activities" - usually defined as childcare, eldercare, volunteering and studying - this is termed Participation Income.

Contents

Arguments for and against a basic income

A basic income in practice: Alaska

Participation Income

Bibliography

Further Reading

Also see links to Basic Income European Network Papers:

" Basic Income Studies " , is the first academic journal to focus specifically on basic income and cognate policies, published by the Berkeley Electronic Press (Bepress)

BIEN 2002 Congress Papers

BIEN 2000 Congress Papers

BIEN 1998 Congress Papers

Barbara Bergmann, "A Swedish-Style Welfare State or Basic Income?", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002 Sweden

Samuel Brittan, "In Praise of Free Lunches", Time Literary Supplement, 2001 UK

Tim Callan, Cathal O'Donoghue, Holly Sutherland and Moira Wilson, "Comparative Analysis of Basic Income Proposals: UK and Ireland", The Microsimulation Unit Discussion Paper MU/RM/31, 1999 Ireland and UK

Tim Callan, Brian Nolan, John Walsh, James McBride and Richard Nestor, "Basic Income in Ireland: A Study for the Working Group on Basic Income", ESRI / Department of the Taoiseach Working Group on Basic Income Report, Ireland

Dynamic Effects of Basic Income - Phase 2 of a Study for the Working Group on Basic Income, Department of the Taoiseach Working Group on Basic Income Report Ireland

Overview of Study on Basic Income Department of the Taoiseach Working Group on Basic Income Report Ireland

Report for the Working Group on Basic Income - Charles Clark , Department of the Taoiseach Working Group on Basic Income Report Ireland

Irv Garfinkel, Chien-Chung Huang, and Wendy Naidich, "The Effects of a Basic Income Guarantee on Poverty and Income Distribution", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002

Alanna Hartzok, "The Alaska Permanent Fund: A Model of Resource Rents for Public Investment and Citizen Dividends", Earth Rights US

Patrick Honohan, "A Radical Reform of Social Welfare and Income Tax Evaluated", Administration Vol. 35 No. 1, 1987 Ireland

Michael Lewis, "Perhaps There Can be Too Much Freedom", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002

Carole Pateman, "Democratizing Citizenship: Some Advantages To Basic Income", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002

Sheila Shaver and Peter Saunders, "Two Papers on Citizenship And Basic Income", SPRC Discussion Paper 55, 1995 Australia

Guy Standing, "CI, COAG and COG: A comment on a Debate", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002

Phillipe Van Parijs, "Basic Income", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002

Pascale Vielle and Jean-Michel Bonvin, "Activation Policies: A Capabilities Perspective", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002

Allan Warrack and Russell R. Keddie, "Alberta Heritage Fund vs. Alaska Permanent Fund: A Comparative Analysis", APFC US

Amy Wax, "Something for Nothing: Liberal Justice and Welfare Work Requirements", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002

Karl Widerquist, "The Stakeholder Account System: A proposal for a hybrid of Basic Income and Stakeholder Grants for Britain and the United States", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002 UK and US

Erik Olin Wright, "Basic Income, Stakeholder Grants, and Class Analysis", Working Paper for the Havens Center Rethinking Redistribution Conference, 2002