The Rise of Conditional Cash Transfers and the Basic Income Cover Image

Rosnąca rola warunkowości pomocy społecznej a dochód powszechny
The Rise of Conditional Cash Transfers and the Basic Income

Author(s): Ryszard Szarfenberg
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Social Sciences, Political Theory, Sociology
Published by: Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza
Keywords: social assistance; conditional cash transfers; unconditional cash transfers; unconditional basic income; universal basic income; universal income; social security

Summary/Abstract: Unconditionality is the main feature of the idea of basic income. What we have seen in the last few decades is the development of conditional cash transfers in developed, and especially, in developing countries. The tension between expansive conditionality and proposals of unconditional basic income is the main interest of this article. Firstly, the author develops an understanding of conditionality by way of distinguishing three types of it with the consideration of the definition, role and effectiveness of social sanctions. The context for presentation of these topics is the classical construct of a social security system with the main social insurance pillar being dependent on labour market participation and supplemental social assistance, one for those without social insurance entitlements, and the poor. Against this background the author assesses some weaknesses of the case for the basic income supported by Guy Standing and some possibilities of making them less persuasive.

  • Issue Year: 2014
  • Issue No: 12
  • Page Range: 19-39
  • Page Count: 21
  • Language: Polish