For some time I have been supportive of a political idea known as the "Universal Basic Income" (UBI) also known as "the Citizen's Income" or "Basic Income Guarantee" or "Negative Income Tax" is a very simple idea - that every citizen in a country is paid a basic level of income, which is unconditional and universal, irrespective of employment status or other income.
Usuallly the UBI is championed by people on the Left (I believe it is the policy of the Green Party for example). But what I find interesting is that the UBI also has supporters on the Right (both conservatives and classical liberals).
As a way of replacing the bureaucratic welfare state, it is an attractive idea as there is some evidence that it would be either as cheap to run or even cheaper than a plethora of means-tested benefits.
Here are some interesting links I've found discussing UBI, most of them are from a conservative or classical liberal viewpoint.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income
http://citizensincome.org/
http://basicincome.org.uk/reasons-support-basic-income/
http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/a-neoliberal-case-for-a-basic-income-or-something-like-it
http://www.cato-unbound.org/2014/08/04/matt-zwolinski/pragmatic-libertarian-case-basic-income-guarantee
http://www.libertarianism.org/columns/libertarian-case-basic-income#.oz0pbd2:3cP6
http://www.libertarianism.org/columns/why-did-hayek-support-basic-income
This is not a party political issue as the various links show. Across the political spectrum it is an idea that has much to commend it and I think it is an idea whose time has come.
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