Give People Money by Annie Lowrey: a book review

To never judge a book by its cover is good advice usually - however, in the case of Annie Lowrey’s Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World, the message is pretty clear from the very first visual to the very last page. With this one, the very title is the thesis of the whole book.

Give People Money is an in-depth exploration and a strong case for the implementation of UBI – Universal Basic Income, essentially a no-strings-attached social safety net that gets paid out to everyone (though more on this later) regardless of their income or lack of it. This would ideally be enough to cover the very basic cost of living, including average monthly rent and groceries, for example. With a focus on the US, Lowrey writes that much of what we consider economic circumstance really tends to be a product of policy. The only reason there’s no UBI is because (governmental) policy is not in place to allow it. She discusses the claims both against and for UBI, and argues that based on feminist theory, environmental policy, technological advancement, and sociological research. Lowrey argues that a universal, unconditional income would combat insecurity and precarity across the globe, lifting vulnerable populations out of poverty and bringing society close to true equality.

To make the case, the chapters are divided and each addresses both the concrete why’s and possible how’s of UBI in various yet connected contexts. Lowrey, a journalist by training, includes the outcomes of interviews with academics, political staff, NGO workers, or everyday citizens as the driver for her chapters. These cover important research and conversations on technology and Artificial Intelligence, poverty, working culture, the American Dream, and un(der)paid care labour. The author travels, documents, and embeds though parts of Kenya, India, South Korea, and the US in pursuit of a better understanding of UBI’s potential, as well as the results that can be seen from UBI-adjacent trials and projects in these places already. Lowrey builds her conclusions on a variety of trustworthy sources, including the work of other scholars, journalists, government publications and statistics. In essence, she concludes, the positive effects of an unconditional, universal income not only outweigh the obstacles, but make it inherently necessary to keep up with the changes that contemporary societies are currently facing and expect to face in the future. Especially with the release, widespread use, and seemingly limitless potential of tech like ChatGPT and Midjourney, changes to the way we work (and ultimately earn) must be considered.

Lowrey’s work on UBI is a neat summary of 21st century thoughts and struggles of the idea, and contributes to it the unique experiences and insights gathered through her field research on the topic. Notably, this work is decidedly more optimistic than other purely academic writing on the matter of a basic income. Some scholars assess the data from past or ongoing UBI experiments to find the big picture less affected than the cost of the projects would invite, while others explore more palatable alternatives that focus on bringing cash to (only) the most vulnerable populations, or others that fear for the future of democracy if something like UBI was to be introduced. Lowrey challenges and build on previous work to make an innovative contribution. Her focus is on the core importance of the unconditionality and universality of such an income: unconditionality subverts the currently intricate conditions that make access to financial support difficult, poking holes in the safety net and allowing for those already struggling to fall through, and the universality aspect serves to change the mindset – stigma, even – around work, the right to refuse it, and receipt of welfare, and its potential to affect a sense of belonging to the whole of a state community. This becomes a signature of citizenship: not just or necessarily in the legal sense, but particularly in the sense of being an equal in society, without the (financial) barriers that may stop an individual from actively participating in their political community. Especially in the complex world of today, the importance of this cannot be understated.

Give People Money makes for excellent reading, given its accessibility, length, and depth. Lowrey’s writing style trusts the reader to make connections through the book without over-spelling the main themes; her skilful chapter construction encourages a critical and questioning position from her reader before turning to answer those questions thoroughly. The content is though-provoking, and the theoretical or political or academic arguments are balanced artfully with the personal stories and interviews that bring the matter back down to earth. The book is not without its drawbacks, however: the most glaring omission is Lowrey’s underdeveloped discussion of immigration’s effects on UBI. While the theme arises a handful of times, only three of the 200-plus pages are dedicated to the discussion of why and how to include resident non-citizens in a basic income system, and only briefly mentions the plight of undocumented workers. Particularly, the three pages contain mostly questions with “no easy answers, especially for progressives” related to polarisation and xenophobia, and whether “a UBI might foster abject racism” (p.180). While the focuses of these unanswered questions are important in the US, where the book was first published, they are of incredible importance to the European context too. Lowrey’s emphasis on unconditionality and universality are undermined when the migrant-question is not considered, and begs further research.

Europe and the European Union are no strangers to the UBI conversation either, with some of the Nordic and western Member States having run various trials to varying degrees. However, in the sense of European citizenship, there is room for considering the positive effects of a basic income system to deepen European integration. Already, for example, EU funding in the form of Erasmus+ grants creates greater feelings of belonging and ‘Europeanness’ among participants, increasing active citizenship. Broader inclusion and financial relief, such as UBI could encourage unity in Europe, especially as the continent faces new challenges like hosting refugees and dealing with the consequences of war, or ongoing challenges in raising the status of women and of un(der)paid labour. Indeed, further research is integral to further understanding the applicability of UBI systems on a both a national and supranational level. Ultimately, this book is digestible, succinct, and written with accessible and empathetic language, while remaining a well-researched, insightful, and convincing argument for Universal Basic Income. Lowrey’s work with Give People Money remains recommended reading for those seeking a clear first introduction to the complicated, controversial, but ultimately optimistic landscape of Universal Basic Income.

Lowrey, Annie. Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World. New York: Crown, 2018; 254 pp.: IBSN 9781524758776, € 12,29 (pbk).

Note: An earlier version of this book review was submitted as course work for Euroculture in 2022. It has been adapted for brevity and clarity.