2024-03-29T08:45:00
111201
Fri Mar 29 08:45:01 EDT 2024
Values and Beliefs, Welfare Evaluations, and Attitudes Towards a Universal Basic Income in Europe
Gwangeun Choi
111201
https://doi.org/10.3886/E111201V2
2020-03-01
This
study investigates the determinants of public support for a universal basic
income (UBI), using the European Social Survey Round 8 (2016), which is a
cross-national survey that asked respondents for the first time whether or not
they support a UBI scheme. Among the determinants, this article focuses on the three
sets of factors: basic human values (universalism, benevolence, power, and
achievement), beliefs about economic differences (economic individualism and
economic fairness), and evaluations of current social benefits and services.
The findings show that young, leftist, and economically vulnerable people who
are unemployed or low-income earners are more supportive of UBI, as expected.
Regarding the predictors of the values and beliefs, those who are in favor of
enhancing equality in a broad sense are more likely to support UBI; those who
support economic individualism and worry about a lack of work ethic and
economic burden imposed by welfare policies are less likely to support UBI, as
hypothesized. However, the results are unexpected that those who are more
inclined to self-enhancement values (power and achievement) and targeted
welfare policies are more supportive of UBI, which reveals that UBI is not just
an egalitarian policy.
Basic Income
Welfare Attitudes
Welfare States
Human Values
Welfare Evaluations
Egalitarianism
23 European countries, including Israel and Russia
2016 – 2016 (ESS Round 8 in 2016)
survey data
European Social Survey Round 8 (2016)