Swiss Give Basic Income Plan A Resounding ‘Meh’

A whopping 77% of voters in Switzerland chose not to give every Swiss adult a basic income of ~$2,500 a month ($625 per child) just for being alive. The universal basic income scheme has long been floated by both progressives and libertarians as a way to streamline social welfare and prepare for a future for when “robots take over the world.” No, really, that was part of the argument. 

Why do all Swiss people vote on stuff like this?

Switzerland’s system of direct democracy means that citizens can recommend changes to the constitution. Any – and we mean any – initiative that gets 100,000 signatures can be put up to a referendum. You would think that this lends itself to all sorts of abuse, but as exemplified by this vote, the Swiss are the only people who reject free money. They’ve also previously rejected more vacation days and higher minimum wages. 

Good Read: How Switzerland’s Direct Democracy Functions