Universal Basic Income - Definition and History

Universal basic income is a controversial proposal under which the government provides regular, permanent cash payments to each citizen with the intent of lifting everyone out of poverty, encouraging their participation in the economy and covering the costs of their most fundamental needs including food, housing and clothing. Everyone, in other words, gets a paycheck - whether they work or not. The idea of setting a universal basic income has been around for centuries but remains largely experimental. Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Finland have launched trials of universal basic income variations. It gained some momentum among some economists, sociologists and tech industry leaders with the advent of technology that allowed factories and businesses to automate the manufacturing of goods and to reduce the size of their human workforces. How the Universal Basic Income Works There are many variations of the universal basic income. The most basic of these proposals would merely replace Social Security, unemployment compensation and public-assistance programs with a basic income for every citizen. The U.S. Basic Income Guarantee Network supports such a plan, stating that the system of trying to force Americans into the workforce as a way of eliminating poverty has not proven successful. Some estimates show that approximately 10 percent of people who work full time all year around live in poverty. Hard work and a booming economy have not comes close to eliminating poverty. A universal program like the basic income guarantee could eliminate poverty, the group states. Its plan would provide a  level of income necessary to meet their most basic needs to every American, regardless of whether they worked, in a system is describes as an efficient, effective, and equitable solution to poverty that promotes individual freedom and leaves the beneficial aspects of a market economy in place. A more complicated version of the universal basic income would provide about the same monthly payment to every American adult, but it would also require that about a quarter of the money be spent on health care insurance. It would also impose graduated taxes on the universal basic income for any other earnings over $30,000. The program would be paid for by eliminating public-assistance programs and entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.   Cost of Providing a Universal Basic Income One universal basic income proposal would provide $1,000 a month to all 234 million adults in the United States. A household with two adults and two children, for example, would receive $24,000 a year, barely hitting the poverty line. Such a program would cost the federal government $2.7 trillion a year, according to economist Andy Stern, who writes about the universal basic income in a 2016 book, Raising the Floor. Stern has said the program could be funded by eliminating about $1 trillion in antipoverty programs and reducing spending on defense, among other methods. Why Universal Basic Income Is a Good Idea Charles Murray, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of In Our Hands: A Plan to Replace the Welfare State,† has written that a universal basic income is the best way to maintain a civil society amid what he described as a coming labor market unlike any in human history. It will need to be possible, within a few decades, for a life well lived in the U.S. not to involve a job as traditionally defined. ... The good news is that a well-designed UBI can do much more than help us to cope with disaster. It also could provide an invaluable benefit: injecting new resources and new energy into an American civic culture that has historically been one of our greatest assets but that has deteriorated alarmingly in recent decades. Why Universal Basic Income Is a Bad Idea Critics of a universal basic income say that it creates a disincentive for people to work and it rewards non-productive activities. States the Mises Institution, named for the Austrian economic Ludwig von Mises: The struggling entrepreneurs and artists ... are struggling for a reason. For whatever reason, the market has deemed the goods they are providing to be insufficiently valuable. Their work simply isn’t productive according to those who would potentially consume the goods or services in question. In a functioning  marketplace, producers of goods the consumers dont want  would quickly have to abandon such endeavors and focus their efforts into productive areas of the economy. The universal basic income, however, allows them to continue their less-valued  endeavors  with the money of those who have actually produced value, which gets to the ultimate problem of all government welfare programs. Critics also describe the universal basic income as a wealth-distribution scheme that punishes those who work harder and earn more by directing more of their earnings to the program. Those who earn the least benefit the most, creating the disincentive to work, they believe. History of Universal Basic Income The humanist philosopher Thomas More, writing in his seminal 1516 work  Utopia, argued for a universal basic income. The Nobel Prize winning activist  Bertrand Russell  proposed in 1918 that a universal basic income, sufficient for necessities, should be secured for all, whether they work or not, and that a larger income should be given to those who are willing to engage in some work which the community recognizes as useful. On this basis we may build further. Bertrands view was that providing the basic needs of every citizen would free them up to work on more important societal goals and live more harmoniously with their fellow man. After World War II, economist Milton Friedman  floated the idea of a guaranteed income. Friedman wrote: We should replace the ragbag of specific welfare programs with a single comprehensive program of income supplements in cash — a negative income tax. It would provide an assured minimum to all persons in need, regardless of the reasons for their need†¦A negative income tax provides comprehensive reform which would do more efficiently and humanely what our present welfare system does so inefficiently and inhumanely. In the modern era, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has forward the idea, telling Harvard University graduates that we should explore ideas like universal basic income to make sure that everyone has a cushion to try new ideas.

Prescription Drug Abuse Among College Students - 1983 Words

Prescription drugs are being used for nonmedical purposes and it is becoming so common that it has been deemed an epidemic. Literature suggest that prescription drug abuse among college students is high. This could be due to the stressful environments college students are placed in. Prescription drugs will be discussed broadly but in some instances, limited to opioids. Many people are prescribed medication on a daily basis and not everyone uses them as they are intended. What happens to the leftover medication? Do people share their medication with other people? Why do people use prescription medication for nonmedical purposes? What is being done to fight the epidemic? What treatment(s) is/are available? These questions and the answers will be discussed later on. There are many possible reasons why a person may use prescription drugs non-medically. According to a study conducted by Rozenbroek and Rothstein (2011) most non-medical users use socially with friends rather than alone. To come to this conclusion, they sent out a questionnaire that contained information regarding three categories: opioids, CNS depressants, and stimulants. The questionnaire included demographic information, relevant information (how they obtained the drug), and to make it less of a hassle, they gave the questionnaire during regular class times to unsuspecting students. They discovered from 428 completed questionnaires that opioids and CNS depressants were mainly used medically, and stimulants wereShow MoreRelatedSubstance Abuse And Binge Drinking Essay1206 Words   |  5 Pages2016 Substance Abuse and Binge Drinking in Bryan College Station Substance abuse is a major problem that takes place on college campuses across the nation in today’s society. According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse half of all full-time college students binge drink, abuse prescription drugs and/ or abuse illegal drugs. This amounts to 3.8 million students. 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Difficult Childhood free essay sample

Childhood After reading â€Å"The Sanctuary of School† by Linda Barry I figured out that we share some similar life experiences. Our similar experiences include growing up in poor families, crowded households, and positive educators that shaped our lives. At the same time, there are many differences in our background. She grew up in an urban place, and I grew up in a rural area. Linda’s childhood was very unhappy while mine was happy. She was neglected and I was well taken care of as a child. She also overcame all obstacles to her success in education, while I could not obtain an education because of the absence of an educational institution. To begin with, we both grew up in poor families. When Linda Berry was a child her parents were going through economic problems. Her parents used to argue because they were having a difficult time financially. My parents also used to argue because of money. We will write a custom essay sample on Difficult Childhood or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My dad was â€Å"self-employed. † He farmed a small plot of land and harvested what he planted once a year. Another way to get some money was selling cattle. He used to do that when the situation became difficult. Throughout the year, there were very few times when he would be able to get some money; when he did, he would go to the city to buy some food and he would spend the rest of money with his friends having fun, mainly drinking alcohol. Despite this similarity, our lives were different somehow. Linda grew up in an urban area where she had electricity. She was able to watch television at night. As she described it, â€Å"We slept on the couch, something that we actually liked because it put us that much closer to the light of our lives, our television. On the other hand, I grew up in a rural place that did not have electricity. I was eighteen years old when I watched television for the first time. It was while I was visiting the city with my grandmother. I was very fascinated with it. I could not believe my eyes. Another similarity that we have is that we both grew up in overcrowded houses. Linda’s parents regardless of their economic situation would still allow relatives to come to live to their house because they had no place to live. As a result, their problems and discussions were growing. My parents were also doing something similar; they were allowing relatives to live in our house. We were short of many things, such as food, living space, and money. Another contrast is an event in Linda’s childhood that made her very unhappy whereas I grew up as a happy child. She felt very miserable and because of that, one early morning she decided to run away from her house. This adventure was traumatizing for her because she walked alone on dark streets with no people around. Her parents did not even notice her absence. This particular event in her life impacted her because she became aware of her parents’ negligence. Unlike this character’s unhappiness, I had a happy upbringing. Most importantly, I had lots of love from my mother. She was very responsible with me. She cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for me every day. Also, she would have clothes ready for me to go to school every day. For me it was impossible to be ignored by my mother. I would have to ask for permission for almost everything, for playing or to go anywhere. Contrary to Linda, many times I felt suffocated because of â€Å"lack of freedom,† that is what I used to call it. Despite all the difficulties in my childhood, I think that I grew up as a happy child thanks to the care of my mother and thanks to the moments she allowed me to play with other kids. The next similarity that we have is that we both liked going to school and we both had nice and kind teachers. Linda found school as her best refuge. It was a place that would provide her a feeling of protection and care. The teacher liked her and made her feel good. For me school was a comfortable place and I used to go there even when there was no class. The peaceful environment at school used to make me feel good. The same as with Linda, my teachers were good with me. They always welcomed me with a smile, gave me attention, and helped me with homework. Despite our similarities at school, we also have some contrasts. Even though Linda had all this trouble in her life, she never quit school. She found her way through life and became a famous writer. Conversely, I could not keep up with my education because where I grew up there was only an elementary school. My parents did not have money to send me to the city for studying. Reading Linda Berry’s paragraph, â€Å"The Sanctuary of School† helped me to realize of the similarities and contrasts that we all could have. Linda’s childhood was surrounded by negativity, but I think that somehow it helped her to become successful in life. For me, all the difficulties that I went through in my childhood helped me to become the person I am now. Even though I am not a professional like Linda I am very interested and motivated to continue with my education.