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What (If Anything) Can Justify Basic Income Experiments? Balancing Costs and Benefits in Terms of Justice

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  • Daemen Josette

    (Institute of Political Science, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands)

Abstract

The central thesis of this essay is that basic income experiments are justified if their expected benefits in terms of justice exceed their expected costs in terms of justice. The benefits are a function of basic income’s effect on the level of justice attained in the context in which it is implemented, and the experiment’s impact on future policy-making. The costs comprise the sacrifices made as a result of the experiment’s interventional character, as well as the study’s opportunity costs. In light of the proposed standard of justification for basic income experiments, the factors that play a role in it, and the way these interact with one another, this essay provides some practical recommendations for researchers hoping to conduct such an experiment.

Suggested Citation

  • Daemen Josette, 2021. "What (If Anything) Can Justify Basic Income Experiments? Balancing Costs and Benefits in Terms of Justice," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 16(1), pages 11-25, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bistud:v:16:y:2021:i:1:p:11-25:n:1
    DOI: 10.1515/bis-2021-0024
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Karl Widerquist, 2018. "A Critical Analysis of Basic Income Experiments for Researchers, Policymakers, and Citizens," Exploring the Basic Income Guarantee, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-3-030-03849-6, March.
    6. Karl Widerquist, 2013. "Independence, Propertylessness, and Basic Income," Exploring the Basic Income Guarantee, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-31309-6, March.
    7. Johannes Haushofer & Jeremy Shapiro, 2016. "The Short-term Impact of Unconditional Cash Transfers to the Poor: ExperimentalEvidence from Kenya," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(4), pages 1973-2042.
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