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In political theory, the Malibu surfer problem is the prospect of an individual who can work but chooses not to do so, and instead leads a life of self-indulgence funded through some other available means of support. The phrase refers to an imagined resident of Malibu, California who chooses to surf rather than work. Political philosophy is the study of the fundamental questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, property, rights, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form...
The Malibu pier near the famous Surfrider Beach The Pacific Coast Highway in central Malibu The Paradise Cove pier in Malibu Malibu is a city located in western Los Angeles County, California. ...
Surfing outside Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. ...
The Malibu surfer problem is usually invoked in relation to at least two different situations:
- Persons of considerable personal wealth (especially those who inherited their fortunes rather than earning it) can live off the money produced by their investments without having to do any actual work.
- In modern welfare systems, which hand out money and other benefits to unemployed persons. See also free rider problem.
Typically, discussions on the Malibu surfer problem in the context of welfare states are much more common than discussions of this problem in the context of the well-to-do. Investment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in finance and economics, related to saving or deferring consumption. ...
Welfare is financial assistance paid by the government to certain entities or groups of people who are unable to support themselves alone, or are perceived by the government to be able to function more effectively with financial assistance. ...
An example of Money. ...
An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ...
In economics and political science, free riders are actors who consume more than their fair share of a resource, or shoulder less than a fair share of the costs of its production. ...
It has been suggested that Welfare capitalism be merged into this article or section. ...
Most welfare systems have mechanisms to prevent people from living off welfare benefits alone for a prolonged period. These include proving that recipients are searching for work, or workfare (being forced to do menial work to earn the money). Workfare is an alternative model to conventional Social Welfare systems. ...
In general, the political Right tends to emphasize the Malibu surfer problem and use it as an argument for reducing or even abolishing welfare. The political Left may counter this argument in a variety of ways: In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply The Right, are terms that refer to the segment of the political spectrum often associated with any of several strains of conservatism, the religious right, and areas of classical liberalism, or simply the opposite of left-wing politics. ...
In politics, left-wing, the political left or simply The Left are terms that refer to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism,communism, social democracy or social liberalism, and defined in contradistinction to its polar opposite, the right. ...
- Some argue that it is better to suffer from the Malibu surfer problem than to let people starve. Individuals who receive no help may end up as homeless persons or criminals, creating far more of a social burden. Providing every citizen with income may give them more of a stake in society and thus reduce crime and vagrancy.
- Others argue that welfare for the unemployed is an inherent part of the human right to life, and that abolishing it would be immoral.
- In addition, a substantial proportion of homeless persons are mentally ill, and often practically unemployable. A similar argument may apply for alcoholism and drug addiction, because it could produce social and medical effects very similar to those of mental illness.
- Yet others argue that the effects of the Malibu surfer problem are in any case negligible, since most people would rather have a well-paying job than live just on the edge of poverty, which is often the case for recipients of welfare benefits.
- A "Malibu surfer" living from welfare can consume only very little, which means he uses less of the limited natural resources, whereas richer people might lead a lifestyle that contradicts ecological sustainability.
- Even people who do not work are still contributing to the economy by spending money, thus driving up demand for goods and services. This may create employment for others.
- Finally, there are certain socialists who propose that the government should employ unemployed persons, rather than unconditional welfare benefits.
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
For other uses, see Crime (disambiguation). ...
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Alcoholism is a powerful craving for alcohol which often results in the compulsive consumption of alcohol otherwise known as an addiction. ...
Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ...
Sustainability is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society. ...
Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ...
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CrimethInc. ...
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