Between Epistemic Necessity and Political Utility: The Role of Basic Income Experiments

Abstract

The idea that every member of society should be granted an individual, unconditional, and sufficient cash payment has attracted much attention over the last few years. Initially viewed merely as a utopian idea upheld by a handful of scholars, Universal Basic Income (UBI) is now considered a policy proposal with real chances of being implemented.1 Beyond academia, UBI is attracting the attention of politicians, policymakers, and the public in general, who usually understand it as a tool to reinforce traditional social protection systems. Nevertheless, it is also seen as a core element of a new rationale for future welfare regimes: less targeted, more universal, less strings-attached, more unconditional.