Promoting income security as a right : Europe and North America /

The idea that every citizen has a basic right to a minimum level of income is especially controversial in these times. In the US the ideological pendulum has been moving to the right, and the welfare system has changed from a grant-based model to one that requires something be given in exchange for aid. Workfare has in many instances replaced welfare. In economics, efficiency considerations dominate issues of equity. This collection of 34 papers on the legitimacy and implications of assuming a right to income addresses the issue for the US and Europe from the perspectives of economics, philosophy, and political science. In some cases it is possible to determine the discipline(s) of the author(s), but in others it is not. The unique breadth of positions expressed and the multidisciplinary nature of the arguments make this book unique. Most of the papers are not detailed empirical tests; rather they are opinion pieces on an important, often neglected premise. This book would interest people from a variety of disciplines wanting an introduction to the issues of a guaranteed annual income. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduate students through professionals. J. F. O'Connell College of the Holy Cross