A Review of Malcolm Torry’s Why We Need A Citizen’s Basic Income

Abstract

Malcolm Torry’sWhy We Need A Citizen’s Basic Income is a comprehensive and pragmatic examination of how an unconditional citizen’s basic income could be implemented and would function. As conversations and interest in a basic income expand, both opponents and supporters have used same words to mean different things. A lack of common vocabulary obfuscates basic income as a concept and policy. Torry begins his book with clearly defined and explained terminology. This vocabulary helps to ground Torry’s chapters and arguments. While much of the book focuses on issues of feasibility and implementation, the first chapters outline the benefits of a basic income. One such benefit is the flexibility that a basic income would allow individuals and families to better copewith the precarity of the current economic system. Torrywrites that the current system of means-tested benefits often leaves individuals in a poverty trap because, “means-tested benefits are withdrawn as earned income rises” (p. 42). Torry also posits a basic income as a sort of Occam’s Razor, both in terms of its administration and flexibility. Means-tested benefits are difficult to administer and require extensive bureaucracy. The time and costs of this administration is not insignificant, and Torry points out that a basic income “would be radically simple to administer” (p. 79). Changes in the economy, society and employment are and will be constant, but are not wholly predictable, which begs the question of how to create a system can address ever changing social and economic needs. Torry advocates for a basic income as a tool that is “[suitable] to a wide variety of employment and market patterns” and “incentivizes economic activity and provides as many choices as possible” (p. 47). Chapter seven importantly focuses on issues of feasibility across dimensions of financial, psychological, administrative, behavioral, political and policy processes. Torry discusses the conjunctive nature of these feasibilities, which is of practical importance to any basic income advocate. As Torry writes, the order in which feasibilities are addressed will be hugely impactful to if and how a basic income policy is implemented. In creating policy to address these feasibilities, those in favor cannot compromise on the fundamental aspects of a basic income. Torry importantly reminds that “commitment to unconditionality and nonwithdrawability ... will be essential” (p. 107). In chapter eight, Torry lays out several options for implementation of a basic income. Torrywrites, “while all that we require for a debate about a Citizen’s Basic Income to be realistic is one viable route from the current situation to the payment of a Citizen’s Basic Income” (p. 122) and he presents uswith five implementation options. A basic income could (1) be implemented all in one go, abolishing means-tested benefits, (2) be implemented all in one go, retaining means-tested benefits, (3) gradually rolled out, (4) start with volunteers, or (5)introduce a very small basic income with agreement that it will rise slowly overtime. These options are especially helpful to those writing basic income policy, and Torry notes the benefits and challenges of each. In linking back to chapter seven Torry also discusses issues of feasibility, and the potential importance of a gradual roll-out. After finishing the book, the reader may ask themselves ‘should basic income be thought of as a social policy or an economic policy?’. The simple answer is that a basic income functions as both. Throughout the book Torry is able to advocate for a basic income as a tool to address issues of income inequality, gender inequality, houselessness, among other problems, and as a tool to strengthen economies. Torry provides important examples regarding how this framing might impact how individuals and nations think about feasibility and implementation of a basic income. Torry ultimately seems to focus on the economic benefit of a basic income stating