Basic income

A universal basic income (UBI) or simply basic income is a social program in which all citizens of a population regularly receive a sum of money from the government. A pure or unconditional basic income has no means test, much like Social Security in the United States. Basic income can be implemented nationally, regionally or locally. The idea gained attention in recent years because people fear that technology will make many jobs obsolete in the future.
The idea has never been put in place by any country yet, but there have been some experimental trials.
In a 2016 survey, 64% of Europeans voted for an UBI.
Concept.
An UBI is an income for everyone. There would be neither a social administrative means test nor a requirement of willingness to work. On the other hand, tax- and contribution-financed social benefits like unemployment benefit, social assistance or child benefit would no longer apply.
The incomes would be:
History.
The Roman emperor Trajan gave 650 denarii to all common Roman citizens who applied.
In the 1516 book "Utopia", Sir Thomas More describes a society in which every person receives a guaranteed income.
In 1984, the Basic Income Research Group began researching on basic income.
In the 21st century, the idea gained attention because many people fear that artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will make many jobs obsolete in the near future.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a petition in Europe called for an "emergency basic income". It got more than 200,000 signatures. The public opinion was largely positive.
Reasons and arguments.
Automation.
One of the most popular reasons for an UBI is that artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will make many jobs obsolete in the near future. However, people still have to get enough money to live, even when there is no work for them anymore. An UBI could be a good solution for this problem.
Better working conditions.
Advocates of UBI say that with basic income, unattractive jobs would have to be better paid and their working conditions improved. This is because there is still a need for people who do this kind of work. And if they already get enough money from UBI, there has to be an incentive for doing these jobs.
Better society.
Some hope that an UBI will lead to a happier and fairer society with fewer debates about envy.
Some people also think that an UBI could make society more creative because people would no longer have the pressure to work. For example, people would have more time to educate themselves or find things they are interested in.
Some believe that an UBI will increase the willingness to take risks because everyone would be financially secure to some degree. This would promote a culture of ingenuity and increase the spirit of invention.
Notable advocates.
There are many prominent advocates of universal basic income. The English-language Wikipedia has a whole article about UBI advocates. This section here only lists the most notable advocates.
Pilot programs and experiments.
Since the 1960s, there have been a number of basic income pilot programs and experiments. Some examples include: