Louise Haagh

My work looks at problems relating to social and economic justice, the ethics and politics of development, comparative capitalism and welfare states, and human development ethics and governance. A particular interest is the link between institutions and well-being, and in the formative role of motivational theories and statistical measurement in comparative public policy.

I have carried out surveys and comparative research on the role of social and economic institutions in human motivation and economic development in a range of middle and high income countries, and have consulted for a number of global organisations on public approaches to economic security.

In the field of basic income studies, I am known for my advocacy of a broader humanist, democratic defence that sets this reform in the context of a human development perspective on freedom and governance. See more information here.

This perspective is exemplified in my most recent book, The Case for Basic Income (2019), in which I look at the role of developmental institutions in democratic development and introduce the notion of humanist governance to account for the social sources of freedom in society.

I currently have four other books forthcoming with Palgrave and Routledge on the topics of basic income and comparative democratic development. See details of books here.