This Time Is Different, or Is It? The Universal Basic Income in Recent Technological Change Discourse in the United States

Tuesday, December 13th 2022

6:00-7:30 pm

IAAK, 1.004 (Room A)

Regina-Pacis-Weg 5

Bonn

With

Dr. Natalie Rauscher

University of Heidelberg

Technological change has always been accompanied by narratives of fear and concern about the future of jobs and - on the other hand-there have been enthusiastic narratives that stress innovation and economic opportunity. As we are progressing into the 21st century, we once again see the evocation of both of these sides in the discourse around technological change in the United States. In this context, we also see the emergence of another topic: The Universal Basic Income (UBI). This topic has been debated on several occasions throughout US history but recently it has seen a new spur of interest. The feeling that this time could be different' when it comes to recent technological disruptions has pushed the UBI into public consciousness. This talk will position the topic of the UBI in the larger debate around a basic income in the United States, as well as shine a light on the more recent discussions around the UBI.