Understanding UBI in Taiwan and America
This past summer I read the book Giving People Money by Annie Lowry, economic policy reporter for The Atlantic. I found the case for universal basic income very compelling, especially since my father had just recently gotten out of truck driving and is still out of work. After reading Lowry’s book, I became interested in how job markets have been changing not just in rural Kentucky but also in East Asia.
To find out how UBI could meet the needs of those affected by twenty-first century economic shifts, I interviewed Western Kentucky University economics professor Dr. Brian Strow on the efficacy of UBI. Moreover, I researched the economic views of Kentucky’s gubernatorial candidates. The push for UBI deserves international support and my project seeks to promote mutual understanding of shared interests between Taiwanese and American citizens. The exchange of such information builds on preexisting efforts to build an international coalition of support for the eradication of poverty through the implementation of different UBI models.
The 2019 Kentucky Democratic gubernatorial primary is defined in large part by each candidate’s vision for Kentucky’s economy. The Democratic candidates Adam Edelen and Andy Beshear both seem to agree that Kentucky’s economy is leaving many workers worse off. The Edelen Holland 2019 campaign website posits that “we can’t move the Commonwealth forward without accepting the fact that working people are working harder than ever while wages in Kentucky, like much of the country, have grown stagnant.” Furthermore, the Beshear Coleman campaign’s campaign website highlights the fact that under the current Republican Governor Matt Bevin, “Kentucky is near the bottom in the nation for job and wage growth.” Clearly, there is a consensus amongst Democrats that more needs to be done to rectify the growing economic pressure felt by everyday Kentuckians.
Western Kentucky University Professor Dr. Brian Strow argues that Universal Basic Income could be an effective way to ameliorate the effects of poverty, under the condition that it replaces status quo welfare policies.
According to Dr. Strow, people should not have “benefit cliffs or high marginal tax rates as they work to escape poverty.” Another problem for status quo welfare programs is the lack of trust they place in poor people to handle their own money. Directly transferring money to people will help reduce bureaucratic costs, but those cost savings measures will likely prove politically troublesome for advocates.
Dr. Strow posits that proponents of UBI will need to be prepared to deal with the issue networks established around the implementation of status quo welfare providers. There are many bureaucrats and other beneficiaries of the current welfare system who will likely push back against calls to streamline the system.
Another major cause for concern, according to Dr. Strow, is the potential reductions in productivity caused by tax hikes. The implementation of UBI will likely require major tax increases, and those tax plans merit careful debate.
Dr. Strow contends that there will also need to be more
Governments turning to UBI for the amelioration of poverty would be wise to make sure the implementation of UBI does not leave others worse off.
English 
Chinese