Property Rights, Coercion, and the Welfare State

The Libertarian Case for a Basic Income for All

Libertarians should endorse a basic-income guarantee not only because it would work better than our current social welfare system, but also because it is a positive value in its own right. Because the initial owners of land seized it, Lockean libertarian principles necessitate some form of compensation, and a government-guaranteed basic income is the alternative best suited to fill that role and can do so without violating individual property rights.