Abstract
This research note examines the relationship between public attitudes toward universal basic income (UBI) and country-level socio-economic conditions in 21 European Countries. Despite abundant theoretical and empirical research on UBI, a comparative analysis of public appetite for UBI has been unavailable due to data limitations. This research note takes advantage of the 2016 European Social Survey to explore the connection between public support for UBI and levels of social protection and economic insecurity.
Acknowledgements
I thank anonymous reviewers, the Journal editor, Michael Howard, Ben Sullivan, and Consuelo Villa for their comments and suggestions that helped improve the earlier manuscript of this paper.
Appendix
Summary Statistics of the Country-level Variables.
| Variable | N | Mean | Std. Dev. | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total social protection benefits per inhabitant (Euro, PPS) | 21 | 7,791.26 | 2,846.96 | 3,405.97 | 12,495.31 |
| Means-tested benefits per inhabitant (Euro, PPS) | 21 | 730.38 | 583.47 | 18.65 | 2,117.00 |
| Non Means-tested benefits per inhabitant (Euro, PPS) | 21 | 7,060.88 | 2,646.68 | 3,308.08 | 12,049.58 |
| Unemployment rate (%) | 21 | 8.17 | 4.05 | 4.00 | 22.10 |
| Temporary employees in the total employees (%) | 21 | 13.47 | 6.74 | 2.10 | 28.00 |
| Households unable to make ends meet (%) | 21 | 22.04 | 12.10 | 5.10 | 46.60 |
| Households unable to face unexpected financial expenses (%) | 21 | 35.70 | 12.94 | 16.80 | 72.20 |
Note: PPS stands for Purchasing Power Standard.
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Research Articles
- Are Basic Capital Versus Basic Income Debates Too Narrow?
- Conditional and Unconditional Cash Transfers: Implications for Gender
- Unconditional Basic Income in the Czech Republic: What Type of Taxes Could Fund It? A Theoretical Tax Analysis
- Research Notes
- A Mesoeconomic Approach to a Basic Income
- Attitudes Toward Universal Basic Income and Welfare State in Europe: A Research Note
- Book Review
- Guy Standing: Basic Income: And How We Can Make It Happen. Penguin, 2017
- Andy Stern (Author) Lee Kravitz (Contributor): Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Rebuild the American Dream