A Policy Evaluation on the Challenges of a Universal Basic Income for Referendum in Taiwan

A Policy Evaluation on the Challenges of a Universal Basic Income for Referendum in Taiwan

Chang-Lin Li, Felix Schiller
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 12
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-7304-4.ch009
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Abstract

In recent years, the Universal Basic Income (UBI) has become a frequently discussed issue around the world. Recently, Spain may issue permanent basic income as a method to flight COVID-19. Italy's government proposed the introduction in 2018. Also, Swiss citizens voted on the introduction by referendum in June 2016. But, would such a referendum be possible in Taiwan and what would be the outcome in Taiwan? The amended Taiwanese Referendum Act passed by the Legislative Yuan and enacted by President Tsai in January 2018 facilitates the referendum process and lowered the preconditions for citizens to launch a proposal. Currently, only 1,879 supporters required it in the first phase, and around 280,000 signatures in the second phase are necessary to support such an initiative; the acceptance quorum was then lowered to only 4,890,000 required voters. This chapter focuses on the public and empirical discussion of UBI in Taiwan and UBI as a possible referendum with learnings from the Swiss UBI experience.
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Introduction

In recent years, Universal Basic Income (UBI) has become a frequently discussed issue around the world. UBI is a government program in which every adult citizen receives a set amount of money regularly. The goals of a basic income system are to eradicate poverty and replace other need-based social programs that potentially require greater bureaucratic involvement. The idea of universal basic income has gained momentum in the U.S. as automation increasingly replaces workers in manufacturing and other sectors of the economy (Investopedia, 2021). Recently, Spain may issue permanent basic income to flight against COVID-19 (Prochazka, 2021). Italy’s government proposed the introduction in 2018. Swiss citizens voted in June 2016 on a proposal to introduce it. The amended Taiwanese Referendum Act passed by the Legislative Yuan and enacted by President Tsai on January 3rd 2018 decreased the number of supporters required to launch a referendum. Currently, only 1,879 supporters in the first phase and around 280,000 signatures in the second phase are necessary to put a proposal to the people. Also, the acceptance quorum was lowered to 4,890,000 voters (from 50 to 25%).

This chapter focuses on the public and empirical discussion of UBI in Taiwan and examine UBI as a possible referendum inspired by the Swiss UBI experience. The methodological approach of this chapter is based upon comparison. The chapter is divided into five parts supported by most recent research and surveys. The first part analyses, if UBI could become a valid initiative under the Taiwanese Referendum Act. Secondly, we examine the favourable argument from Taiwan UBI supporters and what can be learned from the Swiss Referendum held in 2016. Thirdly, we discuss if the supporters would be able to collect 280,000 valid signatures in the legally required time. Fourthly, we predict how such a proposal could successfully mobilize enough citizens to reach the election quorum. Lastly, we compare direct democracy in Taiwan and Switzerland.

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