On the face of it, this makes the numbers come close to acceptable. It also means that UBI schemes essentially take money out of the pot currently reserved for the needy and disabled, and distribute it to able-bodied people plus the needy and disabled. Such a scheme has the potential to have good effects: by eradicating welfare traps that keep... See more

he coalition between left and right evaporates, the idea’s economic inevitability looks fanciful, and the promise that the plan could end poverty forever looks more dependent on technical details than you might think.In part that’s due to disagreement about what basic income is for. I think it’s a useful tool for eliminating or dramatically... See more

UBI—or wider programmes for social support, cohesion, and economic access—should be seen as a tool for enabling the technological transition, not a response to it. It would reduce the fear of job displacement and encourage entrepreneurship and risk-taking. They could reduce social anxiety, creating the space to take advantage of this coming era of... See more

But basic jobs are going to be selecting primarily from the very poor demographic and they’re going to get hit with the same problem as the poorest public schools – a need for people to behave, combined with inability to credibly disincentivize misbehavior.Basic income avoids this problem. It provides money to everyone, good employees and bad... See more