Redesigning Distribution: Basic Income and Stakeholder Grants as Cornerstones for an Egalitarian Capitalism (Real Utopias Project)

Volume V in the acclaimed Real Utopias Project series, edited by Erik Olin Wright. Are there ways that contemporary capitalism can be rendered a dramatically more egalitarian economic system without destroying its productivity and capacity for growth? This book explores two proposals, unconditional basic income and stakeholder grants, that attempt just that. In a system of basic income, as elaborated by Philippe van Parijs, all citizens are given a monthly stipend sufficient to provide them with a no-frills but adequate standard of living. This monthly income is universal rather than means-tested, and it is unconditional — receiving the basic income does not depend upon performing any labor services or satisfying other conditions. It affirms the idea that as a matter of basic rights, no one should live in poverty in an affluent society. In a system of stakeholder grants, as discussed by Bruce Ackerman and Anne Alstott, all citizens upon reaching the age of early adulthood receive a substantial one-time lump-sum grant sufficiently large so that all young adults would be significant wealth holders. Ackerman and Alstott propose that this grant be in the vicinity of $80,000 and be financed by an annual wealth tax of roughly 2 percent. A system of stakeholder grants, they argue, “expresses a fundamental responsibility: every American has an obligation to contribute to a fair starting point for all.” ABRD_001 1 ABRD_002 2 ABRD_003 3 ABRD_004 4 ABRD_005 5 ABRD_006 6 ABRD_007 7 ABRD_008 8 ABRD_009 9 ABRD_010 10 ABRD_011 11 ABRD_012 12 ABRD_013 13 ABRD_014 14 ABRD_015 15 ABRD_016 16 ABRD_017 17 ABRD_018 18 ABRD_019 19 ABRD_020 20 ABRD_021 21 ABRD_022 22 ABRD_023 23 ABRD_024 24 ABRD_025 25 ABRD_026 26 ABRD_027 27 ABRD_028 28 ABRD_029 29 ABRD_030 30 ABRD_031 31 ABRD_032 32 ABRD_033 33 ABRD_034 34 ABRD_035 35 ABRD_036 36 ABRD_037 37 ABRD_038 38 ABRD_039 39 ABRD_040 40 ABRD_041 41 ABRD_042 42 ABRD_043 43 ABRD_044 44 ABRD_045 45 ABRD_046 46 ABRD_047 47 ABRD_048 48 ABRD_049 49 ABRD_050 50 ABRD_051 51 ABRD_052 52 ABRD_053 53 ABRD_054 54 ABRD_055 55 ABRD_056 56 ABRD_057 57 ABRD_058 58 ABRD_059 59 ABRD_060 60 ABRD_061 61 ABRD_062 62 ABRD_063 63 ABRD_064 64 ABRD_065 65 ABRD_066 66 ABRD_067 67 ABRD_068 68 ABRD_069 69 ABRD_070 70 ABRD_071 71 ABRD_072 72 ABRD_073 73 ABRD_074 74 ABRD_075 75 ABRD_076 76 ABRD_077 77 ABRD_078 78 ABRD_079 79 ABRD_080 80 ABRD_081 81 ABRD_082 82 ABRD_083 83 ABRD_084 84 ABRD_085 85 ABRD_086 86 ABRD_087 87 ABRD_088 88 ABRD_089 89 ABRD_090 90 ABRD_091 91 ABRD_092 92 ABRD_093 93 ABRD_094 94 ABRD_095 95 ABRD_096 96 ABRD_097 97 ABRD_098 98 ABRD_099 99 ABRD_100 100 ABRD_101 101 ABRD_102 102 ABRD_103 103 ABRD_104 104 ABRD_105 105 ABRD_106 106 ABRD_107 107 ABRD_108 108 ABRD_109 109 ABRD_110 110 ABRD_111 111 ABRD_112 112 ABRD_113 113 ABRD_114 114 ABRD_115 115 ABRD_116 116 ABRD_117 117 ABRD_118 118 ABRD_119 119 ABRD_120 120 ABRD_121 121 ABRD_122 122 ABRD_123 123 ABRD_124 124 ABRD_125 125 ABRD_126 126 ABRD_127 127 ABRD_128 128 ABRD_129 129 ABRD_130 130 ABRD_131 131 ABRD_132 133 ABRD_133 134 ABRD_134 135 ABRD_135 136 ABRD_136 137 ABRD_137 138 ABRD_138 139 ABRD_139 140 ABRD_140 141 ABRD_141 142 ABRD_142 143 ABRD_143 144 ABRD_144 145 ABRD_145 146 ABRD_146 147 ABRD_147 148 ABRD_148 149 ABRD_149 150 ABRD_150 151 ABRD_151 152 ABRD_152 153 ABRD_153 154 ABRD_154 155 ABRD_155 156 ABRD_156 157 ABRD_157 158 ABRD_158 159 ABRD_159 160 ABRD_160 161 ABRD_161 162 ABRD_162 163 ABRD_163 164 ABRD_164 165 ABRD_165 166 ABRD_166 167 ABRD_167 168 ABRD_168 169 ABRD_169 170 ABRD_170 171 ABRD_171 172 ABRD_172 173 ABRD_173 174 ABRD_174 175 ABRD_175 176 ABRD_176 177 ABRD_177 178 ABRD_178 179 ABRD_179 180 ABRD_180 181 ABRD_181 182 ABRD_182 183 ABRD_183 184 ABRD_184 185 ABRD_185 186 ABRD_186 187 ABRD_187 189 ABRD_188 190 ABRD_189 191 ABRD_190 192 ABRD_191 193 ABRD_192 194 ABRD_193 195 ABRD_194 196 ABRD_195 197 ABRD_196 198 ABRD_197 199 ABRD_198 200 ABRD_199 201 ABRD_200 202 ABRD_201 203 ABRD_202 204 ABRD_203 205 ABRD_204 206 ABRD_205 207 ABRD_206 208 ABRD_207 209 ABRD_208 210 ABRD_209 211 ABRD_210 212 ABRD_211 213 ABRD_212 214 ABRD_213 215 ABRD_214 216 ABRD_215 217 ABRD_216 218 ABRD_217 219 ABRD_218 220 ABRD_219 221 ABRD_220 222 ABRD_221 223 ABRD_222 224 ABRD_223 225 ABRD_224 226 ABRD_225 227 ABRD_226 228 ABRD_227 229 ABRD_228 230 ABRD_229 231 ABRD_230 232 ABRD_231 233 ABRD_232 234 ABRD_233 235 ABRD_234 236 ABRD_235 237 ABRD_236 238 ABRD_237 239 ABRD_238 240 ABRD_239 241 ABRD_240 242 Página em branco 132 Página em branco 188 Are There Ways That Contemporary Capitalism Can Be Rendered A Dramatically More Egalitarian Economic System Without Destroying Its Productivity And Capacity For Growth? This Book Explores Two Proposals, Unconditional Basic Income And Stakeholder Grants, Which Attempt Just That. In A System Of Basic Income, As Elaborated By Philippe Van Parijs, All Citizens Are Given A Monthly Stipend Sufficient To Provide Them With A No-frills But Adequate Standard Of Living. This Monthly Income Is Universal Rather Than Means-tested, And It Is Unconditional - Receiving The Basic Income Does Not Depend Upon Performing Any Labor Services Or Satisfying Other Conditions. It Affirms The Idea That As A Matter Of Basic Rights, No One Should Live In Poverty In An Affluent Society. In A System Of Stakeholder Grants, As Discussed By Bruce Ackerman And Anne Alstott, All Citizens Upon Reaching The Age Of Early Adulthood Receive A Substantial One-time Lump-sum Grant Sufficiently Large So That All Young Adults Would Be Significant Wealth Holders. Ackerman And Alstott Propose That This Grant Be In The Vicinity Of $80,000 And Be Financed By An Annual Wealth Tax Of Roughly 2 Percent. A System Of Stakeholder Grants, They Argue, Expresses A Fundamental Responsibility: Every American Has An Obligation To Contribute To A Fair Starting Point For All.--jacket. Pt. I. Proposals 1. Basic Income: A Simple And Powerful Idea For The Twenty-first Century / Philippe Van Parijs -- 2. Why Stakeholding? / Bruce Ackerman And Anne Alstott -- Pt. Ii. Commentaries 3. The Citizen's Stake And Paternalism / Stuart White -- 4. Basic Income, Stakeholder Grants, And Class Analysis / Erik Olin Wright -- 5. Democratizing Citizenship: Some Advantages Of A Basic Income / Carole Paterman -- 6. Implementing Stakeholder Grants: The British Case / Julian Le Grand -- 7. A Swedish-style Welfare State Or Basic Income: Which Should Have Priority? / Barbara R. Bergman -- 8. The Effects Of A Basic Income Guarantee On Poverty And Income Distribution / Irwin Garfinkel, Chien-chung Huang, And Wendy Naidich -- 9. Cig, Coag, And Cog: A Comment On A Debate / Guy Standing -- Pt. Iii. Responses 10. Basic Income Versus Stakeholder Grants: Some Afterthoughts On How Best To Redesign Distribution / Philippe Van Parijs -- 11. Macro-freedom / Bruce Ackerman And Anne Alstott. Bruce Ackerman, Anne Alstott, Philippe Van Parijs ; With Contributions By Barbara Bergmann ... [et Al.] ; Edited And Introduced By Erik Olin Wright. Papers From A Conference Of The Real Utopias Project Called Rethinking Redistribution. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book explores two proposals, unconditional basic income and stakeholder grants, which attempt just that. In a system of basic income, as elaborated by Philippe van Parijs, all citizens are given a monthly stipend sufficient to provide them with a no-frills but adequate standard of living. This monthly income is universal rather than meanstested, and it is unconditional - receiving the basic income does not depend upon performing any labor services or satisfying other conditions. It affirms the idea that as a matter of basic rights, no one should live in poverty in an affluent society.In a system of stakeholder grants, as discussed by Bruce Ackerman and Anne Alstott, all citizens, upon reaching the age of early adulthood, receive a substantial one-time lump-sum grant sufficiently large so that all young adults would be significant wealth holders. Ackerman and Alstott propose that this grant be in the vicinity of $80,000 and be financed by an annual wealth tax of roughly 2 percent. A system of stakeholder grants, they argue, "expresses a fundamental responsibility: every American has an obligation to contribute to a fair starting point for all".This is volume 5 of the Real Utopias Project, which embraces a tension between dreams and practice. It is founded on the belief that what is pragmatically possible is not fixed independently of our imaginations, but is itself shaped by our vision. The fulfillment of such a belief involves "real utopias": utopian ideals that are grounded in the real potentials for redesigning social institutions. In its attempt at sustaining and deepening serious discussion of radical alternatives to existing social practices, the Real Utopias Project examines various basic institutions and foouses on specific proposals for their fundamental redesign.