Three Big Ideas (and Some Big Concerns)

Abstract

Chapter 5 turns from goals to means. It takes up Three Big Ideas that some tout as all-purpose solutions for a future of less work: UBI, a federal job guarantee (JG), or a shorter work week. Each has major virtues, but each faces daunting practical and political hurdles. More importantly, each of the Three Big Ideas fails on one of the three dimensions of a good livelihood that we should be aiming for: UBI falls short on ensuring a wide distribution of decent work; existing JG proposals fail to spread the benefits of more free time; and a shorter work week, standing alone, would fail to ensure adequate incomes. What we need is a multifaceted strategy that creates, conserves, and spreads work while supporting incomes of those who are otherwise unlikely to capture the dividends of a more automated economy.