Dr. Leire Rincón (Autonomous University of Barcelona): “A Robin Hood for all: a conjoint experiment on support for basic income” (Public Lecture Series)

On Wednesday, 10th May, Dr. Leire Rincón (Autonomous University of Barcelona) will present an evening lecture on “A Robin Hood for all: a conjoint experiment on support for basic income”.

Time: 06:00 – 07:00 p.m. (CEST)

Place: Online (Zoom)

Video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7tSw-0tKKI

Zoom link: https://uni-freiburg.zoom.us/j/69439303555?pwd=OHptNmYxNXVBd3hvUVludGVJaUswUT09

The public lecture series is the perfect opportunity to delve into some of the cutting-edge work in the field of basic income policy research. Featuring six expert authors, each discussing a key article in their research, this series promises to offer unique insights into the challenges and opportunities surrounding basic income policy. Join us online for this enriching event series and explore the latest research and findings on basic income policy.

Abstract: Support for universal basic income is one of the key conundrums of the politics of welfare reform. Research shows that the predictors of UBI favourability also explain support for other policy alternatives, which differ substantially from a UBI, like targeted or conditional cash transfers. What is attractive or objectionable about a UBI to individuals, and which policy alternatives does public opinion actually prefer? In this paper, I tackle these questions with a conjoint experiment conducted in Spain. The results show that the universality of UBI, i.e., the fact that it is given to everyone, is what generates opposition. On the other hand, its unconditionality or the idea that it does not attach any conditions to recipients, is not particularly unpopular. However, the results also reveal that progressive funding mechanisms and restricting eligibility criteria to citizens only, can boost approval for this policy. These results have far-reaching implications for the study of welfare preferences, UBI support and theories on deservingness.

Article link: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2021.2007983

Bio: Leire Rincón recently completed a PhD in Political Science at the University of Barcelona and the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), in which she looked at preferences for universal basic income and competing policy alternatives in comparative perspective. She has published several articles in leading policy journals examining public support for basic income. In addition to public opinion and political behaviour in relation to welfare policies and redistributive politics, in her recent research she also studies different aspects of gender-based violence.