- Question
Is Universal Basic Income a good idea?
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a program in which all people receive a regular sum of money unconditionally, regardless of employment or current wages. Proposed UBI programs vary across the world. This allows different UBI programs to align with both progressive and conservative goals. Several UBI pilot studies have been tried throughout the world, but the interpretations of results vary. UBI proponents consider many questions about logistics, economics, and human behavior: How will UBI be funded? Who will receive the income, every person or every household? Will people stop working or will greater economic stability allow them to better contribute to society?
No, UBI is a bad idea
This position holds that Universal Basic Income is a bad idea. It argues that UBI is financially irresponsible — its cost too steep to implement — that it could actually increase inequality, reduce the incentive to work, and undermine social cohesion, causing more problems than it solves.
Yes, UBI is a good idea
This position holds that Universal Basic Income is a good idea. It argues that UBI does not reduce incentives to work, that it enables everyone to meet their basic needs and participate more fully in society, and that it is simpler to administer than existing forms of welfare.
It depends how UBI is funded
This position holds that whether UBI is a good idea depends entirely on how it is funded. It maps the divide: right-wing versions favour a basic income that replaces the welfare state, left-wing versions fund it through tax rises alongside welfare, and others would means-test it.