Dec 1, 2013

No second term: A people's minority strategy for an unconditional basic income.

Universal suffrage did not drop down from the sky. People struggled for centuries to get universal suffrage. Similarly, an unconditional basic income, or a citizen dividend, will not drop down from the sky. People have to struggle for it.

Alaska is very lucky. A combination of factors led to Alaska recognizing citizen dividend since the early 1980s. In Mongolia, a citizen dividend has been recognized since 2009. Even in these lucky countries, the citizen dividend actually distributed is only a small percentage of the full possible citizen dividend.

Switzerland is very lucky. It has a group of committed people who works on its unconditional basic income initiative, which is leading to a referendum.

What about other countries?

For the USA, a new political party can mobilize the non-voters. USA has almost 50% non-voters. If they are committed to a new party that promises a good citizen dividend, the new party will easily beat out the Democrats and Republicans. In Mongolia, a citizen dividend has such a strong effect that the politicians from opposing parties agree not to fight based on citizen dividend. 

Short of a new political party that supports citizen dividend, what can activists do?

Here is a strategy. If there are 10% of the population who strongly support a citizen dividend, they can influence their politicians to seriously consider instituting a citizen dividend. No, don't beg them. Don't wine and dine them. Vote them out. A 10% difference is enough to have a decisive influence in many elections.

The strategy is simple: tell all politicians that they will not get a second term unless they support citizen dividend. Forget about political party loyalty.

No second term. The message will get through to politicians.

Update (May 2014)
This method of voting is advocated by Obama:
"If your member of Congress doesn’t support raising the minimum wage, you’ve got to let them know they’re out of step, and that if they keep putting politics ahead of working Americans, you’ll put them out of office."
From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/30/remarks-president-raising-minimum-wage (Apr 30, 2014)

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