A merely national ‘universal’ basic income and global justice

I argue that a UBI implemented in some but not all countries must be accompanied by a compensation scheme for those who do not receive a UBI but who contribute to the UBI by effectively subsidizing the recipients of a merely national UBI. This subsidy gives rise to an especially pressing version of the free-rider or Malibu-Surfer problem, since non-recipient contributors do not have the option to quit their jobs and live off a UBI. They should thus receive compensation in analogy to a compensation scheme proposed for the victims of Alaska’s oil industry, which funds Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend. I argue that merely national UBI recipients have particularly strong moral reasons to compensate non-recipient contributors to the UBI they enjoy. I then discuss to what extent the justice problem I raise for a merely national UBI also applies to other policies and schemes such as national welfare-state provisions. Finally, I argue that a merely national UBI is not sufficiently justified by its instrumental significance for a transition to a global UBI.