The Purpose of This Handbook
Handbook: Originally a book small enough to be easily portable and intended to be kept close to hand, typically one containing a collection of passages important for reference or a compendium of information on a particular subject … Later also more generally: any book (usually but not necessarily concise) giving information such as facts on a particular subject, guidance in some art or occupation, instructions for operating a machine, or information for tourists. (Oxford English Dictionary)
This Palgrave International Handbook of Basic Income is clearly of the latter variety, although the electronic version of it might presumably be easily portable. It aims to provide facts on Basic Income and on the global debate about it; it offers occasional guidance as to how that debate might best be conducted; it provides instructions for financial analysis; and it contains information that might be of use to any tourist who wished to study the world’s Basic Income pilot projects and other experiments. While the book is not concise in the sense of being short, and many of the chapters are not short either, each of the chapters aims at a discussion of its particular aspect of the Basic Income debate that is as concise as possible.
One common characteristic of handbooks is not mentioned by the Oxford English Dictionary. Handbooks normally aim at being comprehensive: and an important aim of this Handbook is to provide as comprehensive an overview as possible of Basic Income and of the global debate about it. Ten years ago, and possibly just five years ago, a truly comprehensive overview might have been possible. Until five years ago, it was possible to read pretty well everything published on Basic Income. No individual could do that now. Because no truly comprehensive overview would now be possible, what we have attempted is sufficient of an overview to acquaint readers with all of the major aspects of Basic Income and of the current debate about it. The lists of references at the end of each chapter will then enable readers to pursue further any aspects of the subject in which they might have a particular interest.
We are of course aware that even before this book is published it will be out of date, because the debate will have moved on in possibly quite significant ways. Given the speed with which the debate is evolving, this Handbook was always going to be a snapshot at a particular point in time. But we hope that the content will continue to be useful for a number of years, even though some of the detail will date quite quickly.
Some of the Characteristics of This Handbook
Handbook of Basic Income
This Handbook is about Basic Income, understood to be an unconditional income paid to every individual. The amount paid might vary according to someone’s age, but not in any other way: so means-tested, work-tested , or household -based incomes are not Basic Incomes.
We are of course aware that the term ‘Basic Income’ has sometimes been used with other meanings: for instance, in the Ontario experiment that has recently been terminated, where an income-tested and household-based income was called a ‘Basic Income’ (Ontario, n.d.). We are also aware that an unconditional income of the same amount for every individual of the same age has sometimes been discussed alongside various other mechanisms because they share characteristics in common: so, for instance, Basic Income and Negative Income Tax are sometimes discussed together because they can both generate the same relationship between earned income and net disposable household income : but that does not make a Negative Income Tax a Basic Income. A Basic Income is always an unconditional income paid to everybody of the same age.
Readers can read this book in the confidence that ‘Basic Income’ always means a genuine Basic Income: an unconditional income of the same amount paid to every individual of the same age. There are chapters in which some deviation from this position will be discovered, simply because the aspect of the debate being discussed requires that. Where this occurs, the chapter will clearly state the stance taken. So, for instance, in Chapter 22 on libertarian perspectives, the authors are clear that in the context of the libertarian tradition, Basic Income and Negative Income Tax are often discussed together.
There are numerous other names for Basic Income in circulation: Citizen’s Income, Citizen’s Basic Income, Universal Basic Income , Basic Income Guarantee. We have not used those in this book. In particular , we have avoided the word ‘guarantee ’. This is because the word ‘guarantee’ in ‘Basic Income Guarantee’ can enable Basic Income to be confused with a Minimum Income Guarantee, which is something entirely different. A Minimum Income Guarantee is a level of disposable income, determined by the household structure, below which a household is not allowed to fall: and the mechanism employed to ensure that the household’s disposable income does not fall below the stipulated level can only be a means-tested benefit. In the Basic Income debate in the US and Canada, the term ‘Basic Income Guarantee’ is commonly employed to encompass Basic Income and other similar mechanisms. In this book, in order to avoid the word ‘guarantee’, other means of expression will be employed to describe a category of mechanisms that might include both a Basic Income and other tax and benefit provisions.
A number of unstated assumptions are often made when Basic Income is either defined or discussed. One of these is that the income will be paid in cash , and into a bank or similar account: that is, it will never be in kind, or in the form of tokens or vouchers destined for particular kinds of purchases. Whenever Basic Income is discussed or defined in this book, the assumption will be made that the income is to be paid in cash, and generally into a bank or similar account under the control of the individual to whom the Basic Income is due.
Similarly, it is generally assumed that the income will be paid regular ly, by which is normally meant weekly or monthly. This assumption will be made throughout this book. If ever there is any deviation from this assumption then the frequency with which the Basic Income is to be paid will be stated.
An additional assumption is that the Basic Income will be permanent. Readers will find that this becomes an issue in relation to the pilot projects and experiments discussed in part IV of this volume.
Readers wishing to explore terminological issues further might like to read both the note on terminology earlier in this book, and also Chapter 2.
International Handbook of Basic Income
This is an international handbook, in three different senses.
- While it is impossible to describe and discuss every aspect of the now global Basic Income debate , and equally impossible to discuss how the debate has evolved in all of the countries in which it is happening, we have attempted to describe and discuss what we regard as the most significant aspects of the global debate, wherever they occur, and in particular the pilot projects and other experiments around the world.
- We have aimed at an international group of authors. We are of course aware that an author’s nationality might have little connection with where they currently live and work, and that locating authors in particular places is often problematic. This is particularly true of academics, who frequently move between countries, and will often work in more than one country at the same time. What we can say is that the authors of this book are working or have worked on five different continents; and, where appropriate and possible, chapters have been written by authors working in different parts of the world.
- Except for the chapters about pilot projects or experiments in particular places, each of the chapters aims at a general discussion that will be relevant to readers anywhere in the world. Where examples are required, these have to be drawn from particular contexts (—for instance, the examples of financial analysis are drawn from the UK): but even where context-specific material is offered, readers from elsewhere should be able to translate what they are reading into their own context.
Repetitions, and the Order of Authors’ Names
Because some readers might read selected chapters rather than the whole book, it has been important to retain a certain amount of repetition where the arguments in two or perhaps three chapters require similar material to be inclu...