Prof. Dr. Yannick Vanderborght (UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles): “Basic Income and the Social Investment State: Towards Mutual Reinforcement?” (Public Lecture Series)

On Friday, 28th April, Prof. Dr. Yannick Vanderborght (UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles) will present an evening lecture on “Basic Income and the Social Investment State: Towards Mutual Reinforcement?”.

Time: 06:00 – 07:00 p.m. (CEST)

Place: Online (Zoom)

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:  Is a social investment strategy compatible with the provision of an unconditional basic income? Prima facie, these two scenarios look like incongruent policy alternatives. While social investment – an influential policy paradigm at the level of the European Union – aims at promoting public services and maximum labour market participation, basic income is paid in cash and has sometimes been presented as the key component of a post-work future. In this article, we explore this apparent incongruence and show that these two visions for welfare reform are not necessarily incompatible. We argue that they may share a number of substantial points of agreement, and indeed may reinforce one another according to a logic of institutional complementarity. In particular, we claim that a partial basic income (i.e., a modest unconditional income guarantee, whose amount would be insufficient if one lives alone) could enhance or complement the key functions of a social-democratic version of the social investment strategy. By doing so, we conclude that the integration of a basic income into a social investment package could contribute to overcoming criticisms of the social investment agenda. At the same time, it could rescue basic income from the numerous critics who see it as an unrealistic policy proposal.

Article link: https://doi.org/10.1177/13882627221085019

Bio:  Yannick Vanderborght has published several books and articles on basic income and poverty alleviation. His most recent book is Basic Income. A Radical Proposal for a Free Society and a Sane Economy (Harvard University Press, 2017), co-authored with Philippe Van Parijs. He is also the co-editor of Basic Income: An Anthology of Contemporary Research (Wiley Blackwell, 2013) and of Basic Income in Japan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).