Annie Lowrey’s Take on UBI
How Universal Basic Income Can Changes Lives; According to Annie Lowrey
Imagine existing in a society where everyone was prosperous, stress-free, content, and, of course, felt more at liberty? If Universal Basic Income were to be implemented, it might help ease some of the stresses of daily life, such as financial concerns. Give People Money: How Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World was written by Annie Lowrey, a journalist who focuses on politics and the economy. Lowrey, a strong advocate for UBI, examines the positive outcomes that it would produce. To fully describe and understand the concept of universal basic income, the author used a variety of facts, figures, first-person anecdotes, and cause-and-effect scenarios. In order to demonstrate how Universal Basic Income can have a good impact on the world we live in today, Lowrey’s engrossing details are essential, and she does an excellent job of doing so.
The book begins with Lowrey contending that UBI would provide people with life-sustaining wages and cash aid for domestic labor. With the implementation of Universal Basic Income, those who are not financially stable can feel a little more free with the relief that monetary assistance may bring, therefore, decreasing poverty rates. Lowrey claims that, “Accounting for both paid labor and unpaid care work, women toiled for on average a month longer than their spouses every year, she estimated — an accounting supported by a number of other tallies,” (Lowrey,172). For those who conduct unpaid work, such as caring for sick family members, cleaning homes, or carrying out other domestic activities that are typically disregarded by the vast majority of society, Lowrey asserts that Universal Basic Income is necessary for better living wages. If the country were to give people consistent income once a month, particularly if they are working domestically, it would reduce stress and promote a more emotionally stable outlook.
Lowrey exercises the importance of racism and the stigma surrounding economic assistance. It is crucial to keep in mind that we also need to address the racism connected to obtaining public assistance. Lowrey points out that “we judge, marginalize, and shame the poor for their poverty — to the point where we force them to provide urine samples and want to force them to volunteer for health benefits”(142). This assessment may be the result of egocentric and racist behavior, which typically characterizes those who lack empathy. In What helps you hurts me: Researchers should consider how symbolic racism might affect attitudes toward basic income written by Cody B. Cox and Gregory J. Pool, they believe that the way the government spends their money has racist effects due to symbolic racism. Symbolic racism is defined as a system of beliefs that are prejudice against people of color. It is critical to keep in mind the problems, such as racism, that still require comprehensive solutions in order for government assistance to be fully implemented without bias.
The primary elements of Lowrey’s argument center on the difficulties that would occur from providing everyone with Universal Basic Income. Lowrey also vouches that people from middle-class or lower socioeconomic standpoints should also receive cash aid. It is, in my opinion, an important point of emphasis that Lowrey details since she gives a full review of political changes and how the poverty rates affect everyone. Lowrey writes, “Moreover, strong growth and falling extreme poverty rates do not guarantee better living conditions for all, as India itself shows”(111). It becomes reasonable to believe that poverty rates are constantly rising and that those receiving government help are not necessarily living better, proving her point that UBI is necessary to help those and decrease poverty.
The lack of discussion regarding universal basic income can be ascribed to the fact that few individuals support the idea. The concept lacks attention and is consequently not given enough time to be thought about or discussed in depth because it has not been adequately researched. Some believe that universal basic income has more bad than positive effects, and the government has not developed a strategy or specifics for how the money would be dispersed to those who will benefit from it. Critics contend that the idea of UBI contributes to the creation of unreliable cash aid that is wasted on ignorance in society. Robert B. Reich published an article in the New York Times titled, What if the Government Gave Everyone a Paycheck? and comments on data that shows “…about $1.3 trillion on top of existing welfare programs — roughly the equivalent of the entire federal budget, or about a fifth of the entire United States economy” (Reich). According to Reich, implementing Universal Basic Income could lead to the United States accumulating more debt than it already has. While some might concur that Reich’s interpretation of this implication is accurate, the reality is that given the country’s current economic situation, debt relief is a long way off.
Why Universal Basic Income Is a Bad Idea written by Daron Acemoglu also gives a demonstration of the negative effects of UBI. Acemoglu argues against Lowrey’s point of engagement with others by implementing UBI and says, “Many current social problems are rooted in our neglect of the democratic process. The solution isn’t to dribble out enough crumbs to keep people at home, distracted, and otherwise pacified” (Acemoglu) says. Although there are measures to be taken so that cash aid can be effectively used, many people use their egocentrism to back up their claims against UBI. It becomes evident that individuals opposed to universal basic income are opposed to the thought of people becoming sluggish, stupid, and unmotivated to look for work or keep working. Knowing this helps to support Reich’s arguments for why UBI would be unfavorable and increase the nation’s debt beyond what it presently is.
I contend that Universal Basic Income is useful, notwithstanding the conflicting and nuanced opinions that exist about its efficacy. In her analysis of the value of unions, Lowrey shows how these organizations work to give workers access to better benefits, time off, maternity leaves, and other tools for a productive workplace. Lowrey states that, “In the 1950s, one in three workers belonged to a union that could help them bargain for higher wages, better benefits, more family and sick leave, improved working conditions, and so on” (50). The reader is compelled to consider the value of unions, how they may stand up for individuals who are marginalized in the workplace, and why strikes are inevitable when bosses refuse to supply employees with the fundamental necessities for a comfortable working environment by Lowrey’s argument. In all honesty, it also becomes clear that walking out might lead to conflict and deteriorate relations with authorities or businesses.
For example, in 2019 the Los Angeles Unified School District’s teachers’ union went on strike and used their voice to try and get the district to provide better on campus benefits. Some of these advantages included meeting fundamental healthcare requirements by hiring more nurses and counselors as well as reducing class sizes to increase opportunities for individualized learning. According to Grace McCullough, who wrote an article called, Too Much ‘On the Line’: My LAUSD Strike Experience she said, “Every day on the line, we got angrier and angrier about how hard the district was fighting to keep basic and equitable resources from our students”(1). The 2019 strike brought about a lot of media attention, made the district more rigid, and heightened tensions between the staff, students, and other top administrators. McCullough used her own experience with the LAUSD strike and how it related to the idea of UBI to support Lowrey’s case for the value of unions. Workers’ unions have drawn widespread attention and undoubtedly contributed to meeting fundamental demands and rights. Strikes, of course, have helped to establish these benefits, with labor unions supporting these employees in their efforts to fight for and win their rights, as Lowrey reminds us.
The book by Annie Lowrey makes a lot of good points and manages to win over the readers to her key points. Even though Universal Basic Income is still in its early stages of development, Lowrey gives her readers optimism that it will work. Realizing the truth about the benefits of Universal Basic Income is indeed compelling given Lowrey’s ability to research and present a variety of viewpoints and backgrounds. Due to her analysis of the persistent economic imbalances that still exist in the United States today, her research on the idea of UBI is crucial and sheds light on it. I have come to agree with many of the points Lowrey makes in her book, and it has helped me better understand her view on providing cash assistance to all citizens. I have a strong concern for and respect for those who live in poverty. Achieving Universal Basic Income is challenging, and the government’s plans to help with UBI are still in the planning stages. The idea of universal basic income (UBI) is also met with a lot of opposition and criticism, but it’s vital to remember that UBI is necessary to improve the lives of people who actually need help. With the right consideration, legislation, and other governmental consequences, Universal Basic Income can achieve significant results. It is beneficial for readers of Annie Lowrey’s book to understand the fundamental concepts and ideas underlying UBI thanks to her ideas and methods for approaching various views.
Bibliography
Acemoglu, Daron, et al. “Why Universal Basic Income Is a Bad Idea: By Daron Acemoglu.” Project Syndicate, 8 Aug. 2019,
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/why-universal-basic-income-is-a-bad-idea-by-da ron-acemoglu-2019–06.
Administrator. (2016, January 24). Symbolic racism — iresearchnet. Psychology. Retrieved December 4, 2022, from http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/prejudice/symbolic-racism/
Cox, Cody B., and Gregory J. Pool. “What Helps You Hurts Me: Researchers Should Consider How Symbolic Racism Might Affect Attitudes toward Basic Income.” Industrial and Organizational Psychology, vol. 14, no. 4, 2021, pp. 590–592., doi:10.1017/iop.2021.120.
Lowrey, A. (2018). Give people money: How a universal basic income would end poverty, revolutionize work, and remake the world. Broadway books.
McCullough, Grace. “Too much “on the line”: My LAUSD strike experience.” Berkeley Review of Education 9.1 (2019).
Reich, R. What if the government gave everyone a paycheck? — The New York Times. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2022, from
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/books/review/annie-lowrey-give-people-money-andrew-ya ng-war-on-normal-people.html
