As I am preparing to graduate from college and move on into the real world, I am constantly reminded of the few months remaining until I start my career. I have grown more and more grateful for my support system, who has pushed me to get a degree, and continue to strive for more than the status quo. While I am thankful to have a job lined up after graduation, and thankful that my nervousness pertains to fitting into my job, loving my new city, and enjoying my new apartment, I also can not help but ignore how many people my age are not having the same experiences. Whether I go on social media, or talk with my peers, it is apparent that many people only see uncertainty after graduation, and do not know what their future may hold. Some sort of baseline that others could rely on, such as a universal basic dividend, could be that certainty that many individuals are looking for.
Benefits of a Universal Basic Dividend
While watching this talk, I had many worries about this concept, and the possibility for corruption, that were promptly addressed. I enjoyed the discussion about ratifying this decision through a constitutional amendment, rather than relying on the promise of politicians. When politicians get involved, who have their own motives, connections, and agendas, working for the public’s best interest may not be at the forefront of their legislation. One issue that I do have with the idea of creating an amendment, however, is if it found in the future that this percentage is unsustainable and is too high, or is not realistically high enough to support a living human, is the process that it would have to go through to be modified. I also agree that this model could be much more beneficial than the system that is currently in place. It allows for individuals to take pride in themselves and their work, and to better themselves by being a contributing member of society. It reminds me of the “teach a man to fish” philosophy, in the sense that an individual who wants to go out and produce for themselves will be better off than simply giving money to those that show no interest in self improvement. I also think this could be better for the overall health of Americans, as keeping the mind active by working can have many positive health effects. I also agree with the idea that this could result in individuals developing more skills and connections, and could allow for more mobility and personal freedom, than simply surviving off of welfare programs that currently exist. After watching this lecture, I would have to mostly agree that implementation of this sort of program would be beneficial to America is a whole.
Disadvantages of a Universal Basic Dividend
While I agree that having this sort of system in place would be far superior to the system currently in place, I believe that this is another case of what could work in theory, but when brought into the real world it may not be as cut and dry as some may think. My first issue that I had with the presentation was that this system would replace all other forms of welfare. What are those who can not work expected to do, such as the elderly, disabled, or those that do not speak English? There may be some sort of stipulation that awards extra money for being a caregiver of someone who is unable to work, such as a child, elder, etc. There should still be some sort of system put in place for those that are unable to provide for themselves, as they are a vulnerable group of people that should not be left to fend for themselves. My next disagreement that I had with this stance is not adjusting the income based on cost of living. For many people, moving may not be a simple solution. How may children whose parents are separated would be deprived out of a relationship with a parent because they were forced to move far away because they could not afford where they were living? Additionally, how many people that do not have the funds to own a car would be able to move out of a large city? Living in a city means taking public transit, or walking to where they need to go. If they are living pay check to pay check, but could afford life outside of a city, not owning a car could mean not being able to survive in the countryside or suburbs. My final question that I had for a society where this is implemented would be how companies would shape their pay according to this legislation. I have seen that companies, such as Goodwill, can hire those with disabilities and pay them well below the minimum wage. This can be seen as being done in good faith, as it employees those at a disadvantage, and also allows disabled individuals to qualify for other government programs. On the other hand, it also keeps the company’s costs lower, as they are paying lower wages, and they also get a tax deduction for employing those with disabilities. My question then stands that would companies purposely use this government universal dividend to purposely underpay workers, but instead of undervaluing specifically disabled workers, they would be able to underpay the entire workforce. I am curious to see how companies would not abuse this legislation when it would first hypothetically be implemented, and what measures could be put in place to ensure that this does not end up being a tax payer-funded way for companies to pay their workers less.