Välfärd utan krav på motprestationer - basinkomstens historiska rötter i tre idéströmningar

Sammanfattning: Recent years have witnessed a rapidly escalating interest on the subject basic income. However, most politicians of Sweden show little interest, some even offense, towards an idea suggesting an income connected to citizenship rather than work. This bachelor thesis aims to define the concept of basic income, and examine how the idea of welfare without demand has emerged as an alternative to dominating ideas in relation to matters of the welfare state. It also aims to relate these ideas to actual projects concerning basic income and resembling examples around the globe and finally identify expected effects of those projects and examples. This study of economic history shows that ideas about basic income is traceable within all three ideologies examined: social liberalism, classic liberalism and socialism. Social liberals debated matters of “basic capital” and “minimum guarantee” during the 1800s. The idea was presented to the public in conjunction with classic liberal theories regarding negative income tax during the 1960s. Within socialism, joint ownership was always part of the ideological foundation, nevertheless there are no political proposals concerning basic income in the history of socialist thought, basically due to a close connection between welfare and labour. Eight examples of projects and permanent economic solutions similar to basic income are presented in this paper, as are expected and actual effects of those projects. The study shows that there are no, nor has there been, any real basic income that is guaranteed, individual, without demand and at the same time enough for basic support of living. It also shows that the offense towards the idea of an income without demand, is probably explained within the specific ideas, upon which the welfare state is built.