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An unconditional basic income? How Dutch citizens justify their opinions about a basic income and work conditionality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2020

Federica Rossetti Open the ORCID record for Federica Rossetti [Opens in a new window] ,
Femke Roosma ,
Tijs Laenen  and
Koen Abts
Federica Rossetti*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Sociological Research (CeSO), KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45 box 3601, 3000 Leuven
Femke Roosma
Affiliation:
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Sociology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
Tijs Laenen
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, Centre for Sociological Research (CeSO), KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45 box 3601, 3000 Leuven
Koen Abts
Affiliation:
Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Sociology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
*
Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The article focuses on one of the core but controversial features of a universal basic income (UBI): its unconditionality. Using qualitative in-depth interviews collected in the Dutch municipality of Tilburg in 2018–2019, we examine the arguments underlying popular opinions about a UBI and work conditionality. The analysis suggests that these arguments can be interpreted from two theoretical perspectives. On the one hand, respondents make frequent use of deservingness criteria referring to the characteristics of welfare recipients, such as their need and work willingness. On the other hand, they justify their opinions using arguments related to the characteristics of welfare schemes, such as their administrative and financial feasibility. Our findings offer important insights concerning political actors who support (or oppose) the real-world implementation of a UBI.

Keywords

Basic incomework conditionalitypublic opinionin-depth interviewsthe Netherlands
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy , Volume 36 , Special Issue 3: Special issue: The Social Legitimacy of Basic Income: A Multidimensional and Cross-national Perspective , November 2020 , pp. 284 - 300
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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