Citizen's dividend
Encyclopedia
Citizen's dividend or citizen's income is a proposed state policy based upon the principle that the natural world is the common property of all persons (see Georgism
). It is proposed that all citizens receive regular payments (dividend
s) from revenue raised by the state through leasing or selling natural resource
s for private use. In the United States
, the idea can be traced back to Thomas Paine
's essay, Agrarian Justice, which is also considered one of the earliest proposals for a social security
system in the United States. Thomas Paine best summarized his view by stating that "Men did not make the earth. It is the value of the improvements only, and not the earth itself, that is individual property. Every proprietor owes to the community a ground rent for the land which he holds."
This concept is a form of basic income
, where the Citizen's Dividend depends upon the value of natural resources or what could be titled as "common goods"
like seignorage, the electro-magnetic spectrum, the industrial use of air (CO
production), etc.
The State of Alaska
dispenses a form of citizen's dividend in its Permanent Fund Dividend
, which holds investments initially seeded by the state's revenue from mineral resources, particularly petroleum
. In 2005, every eligible Alaskan resident (including their children) received a check for $845.76. Over the 24-year history of the fund, it has paid out a total of $24,775.45 to every resident.
Georgism
Georgism is an economic philosophy and ideology that holds that people own what they create, but that things found in nature, most importantly land, belong equally to all...
). It is proposed that all citizens receive regular payments (dividend
Dividend
Dividends are payments made by a corporation to its shareholder members. It is the portion of corporate profits paid out to stockholders. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, that money can be put to two uses: it can either be re-invested in the business , or it can be distributed to...
s) from revenue raised by the state through leasing or selling natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s for private use. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the idea can be traced back to Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
's essay, Agrarian Justice, which is also considered one of the earliest proposals for a social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
system in the United States. Thomas Paine best summarized his view by stating that "Men did not make the earth. It is the value of the improvements only, and not the earth itself, that is individual property. Every proprietor owes to the community a ground rent for the land which he holds."
This concept is a form of basic income
Basic income
A basic income guarantee is a proposed system of social security, that regularly provides each citizen with a sum of money. In contrast to income redistribution between nations themselves, the phrase basic income defines payments to individuals rather than households, groups, or nations, in order...
, where the Citizen's Dividend depends upon the value of natural resources or what could be titled as "common goods"
The commons
The commons is terminology referring to resources that are owned in common or shared between or among communities populations. These resources are said to be "held in common" and can include everything from natural resources and common land to software. The commons contains public property and...
like seignorage, the electro-magnetic spectrum, the industrial use of air (CO
production), etc.The State of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
dispenses a form of citizen's dividend in its Permanent Fund Dividend
Alaska Permanent Fund
The Alaska Permanent Fund is a constitutionally established permanent fund, managed by a semi-independent corporation, established by Alaska in 1976, primarily by the efforts of then Governor Jay Hammond...
, which holds investments initially seeded by the state's revenue from mineral resources, particularly petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
. In 2005, every eligible Alaskan resident (including their children) received a check for $845.76. Over the 24-year history of the fund, it has paid out a total of $24,775.45 to every resident.
See also
- Asset-based egalitarianismAsset-based egalitarianismAsset-based egalitarianism is a form of egalitarianism which theorises that equality is possible by a redistribution of resources, usually in the form of a capital grant provided at the age of majority...
(basic capital) - Basic incomeBasic incomeA basic income guarantee is a proposed system of social security, that regularly provides each citizen with a sum of money. In contrast to income redistribution between nations themselves, the phrase basic income defines payments to individuals rather than households, groups, or nations, in order...
- Land value taxLand value taxA land value tax is a levy on the unimproved value of land. It is an ad valorem tax on land that disregards the value of buildings, personal property and other improvements...
- Prosperity BonusProsperity BonusThe Prosperity Bonus, also nicknamed Ralph bucks, announced in September 2005, is the name given to a program designed to pay money back to residents of the Canadian province of Alberta as a result of a massive oil-fuelled provincial budget surplus....