Popularity of Basic Income

Tijs Laenen is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences of Tilburg University, the Netherlands, where he holds a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, and at the Centre for Sociological Research of KU Leuven, Belgium, where he is coordinator of the “Basic Income in Belgium" project.

• 1. Introduction: How Popular is Basic Income?.- 1.1. Basic income: From a disarmingly simple idea to a deceptively simple one.- 1.2. The popularity of basic income.- 2. Popular Support for the Ideal-typical Basic Income.- 2.1. Across the board.- 2.2. Individual differences.- 3. Popular Support for Differently Designed Varieties of Basic Income.- 3.1. Across the board.- 3.2. Individual differences.- 4. Reasons for Supporting or Opposing Basic Income.- 4.1. Across the board.- 4.2. Individual differences. 5. Conclusion: Implications for the Political Feasibility of Basic Income.- 5.1. Eight political challenges and their opportunities.- 5.2. A research agenda.

“Tijs Laenen’s excellent new book on the popularity of basic income, which shows a plurality or majority of respondents in many contexts expressing support for a basic income. ... Laenen groups the agenda into research on the causes, the overall level, and the consequences of support for basic income. There are plenty of stimulating ideas and suggestions within ... is a particularly eye-catching one. ... It stands out as a fruitful avenue for future research to pursue.” (Joe Chrisp, International Social Security Review, Vol. 77 (1-2), 2024)