Universal Basic Income: Providing a foundation for the citizen’s exercise of democratic rights

Abstract

The concept of a Universal Basic Income, an unconditional payment to all citizens without means test or a work requirement, is a contemporary idea aimed at addressing poverty and wider societal inequalities. Though much research has been dedicated to political and economic aspects of the concept, the arguments within this paper start earlier, focusing on core, rights-based justifications for the implementation of a basic income scheme. This paper argues, in the context of growing inequality in New Zealand, a basic income is capable of advancing the exercise of democratic rights within the public and private spheres.