In The Balance

It is an idea that has been around for hundreds of years - to give everyone in society a regular chunk of money that is enough to guarantee them a minimum survivable standard of living. Often called Universal or Unconditional Basic Income, the idea has supporters on both right and left. It was cast back into the spotlight this year when the Swiss held a referendum on whether to introduce it. Pilot schemes to test the idea are cropping up everywhere from Finland to the Netherlands to the US and Kenya. One reason it is gathering such momentum is concern over new technologies eliminating many low-end jobs. Last week the founder of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk said the impact of automation on the job market meant that some form of Universal Basic Income would become inevitable. But not everyone agrees a Basic Income is inevitable, or even desirable, and for those who do support the idea, there is disagreement over almost every aspect of how it should be implemented. To what extent could it replace the Welfare Stat

Can Donald Trump deliver on his promises of more jobs and growth, especially to parts of the Midwest that have been starved of employment and hope for decades? Around seven million factory jobs have been lost in the region since the 1970s. President-elect Trump has promised to invest in infrastructure, boost production, revive manufacturing, and cut taxes. He also talked about abandoning the country's trade deals and building a wall with Mexico. How much of this is feasible, and can he do it whilst keeping some kind of reasonable limit on the country's already substantial national debt? The BBC's Ed Butler discuss these issues with Pippa Malmgren, a former member of George W Bush's economic team; Jared Bernstein from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and formerly, Barack Obama's economic team. They are also joined by Lou Mavrakis, Mayor of Monessen, Pennsylvania, a rust-belt town which has been hard hit by the recent decades of decline. (Photo: A former steel factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvan

The idea of a small, dynamic company with big ambitions and a mission that all employees believe in, seems to be something that everyone wants a slice of these days. Industrial heavyweights such as car-makers, BMW and Ford have been launching their own spin-off initiatives to try to capture that startup magic themselves. But what exactly is startup culture and how can a company hang on to it as it grows? Is it even possible for corporate giants to emulate it? At the London offices of Transferwise, presenter Ed Butler gets to grips with startup culture, through a game of Ping-Pong with CEO Taavet Hinrikus. It is all good fun, but how much do employees really benefit from working in environments like this one? And when does a culture, become a cult? To explore all that and more, Ed returns to the studio where he is joined by Alicia Navarro, CEO and co-founder of the London-based tech startup, Skimlinks, and from Boston in the US by Dan Lyons, author of a recent best-selling book, Disrupted: My Misadvent

Could Brexit be about to undermine the dominance of London's banking industry? The British Banker's Association has warned that large banks are getting ready to relocate out of the UK early next year, and smaller banks could move operations overseas before then. It comes amid a fierce debate in Britain and Europe over what Brexit should look like. Some banks in London are pushing to retain access to the single market - especially so-called passporting rights. But the British government is unwilling to give ground to the EU on its key demand - control over immigration. Frankfurt, Berlin and Paris are certainly on the charm offensive, with lobbyists hard at work encouraging relocation. So can London retain its status as a global finance hub – and who benefits if it doesn't? How much do other cities really stand to gain from Britain's imminent exit from the EU, and possibly the single market? And if there is an exodus of banks from the City of London, what will it mean for Europe, and even the global eco

There has been plenty of fierce fighting during the US election campaign, but much of it has been about the behaviour of the candidates rather than their policies. This week, we focus on economic policy. The BBC's Ed Butler gets the inside track from Diana Furchtgott-Roth, an economic adviser to the Trump campaign and professor Austan Goolsbee, former chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers and adviser to the Clinton campaign. (Photo: Dolls of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for sale in a gift shop at Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania. Credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

Should central bankers, once seen as the new rock stars of the finance world, be more aptly described as failed heroes? As the world's finance ministries battle to revive their ailing, post-crisis economies, they have increasingly turned to the central bankers to do whatever it takes according to Mario Draghi, to keep those economic wheels turning. As a result, interest rates have been slashed in the rich world and some banks have launched massive programmes of quantitative easing. But have these technical remedies for economic stagnation run their course? As the debt piles rise and the rates approach zero or even negative in some countries - are the bankers' big bazookas as they were once memorably called, running out of ammunition? The BBC's Ed Butler is joined by three guests - DeAnne Julius, a founding member of the Monetary Policy Committee which sets the Bank of England's interest rates, Jeff Deist, president of the Mises Institute, a long-time critic of the tactics deployed by the leading central b

The impact of globalisation has been very much in the spotlight with the wave of populist rhetoric of late. We heard it in Britain with the Brexit referendum to leave the EU, and now with the arguments of US presidential candidate, Donald Trump, who thinks recent trade deals with China, Latin America and beyond have short-changed American workers. Until the global financial crisis of 2009, free trade seemed like an ambition everyone believed in. Today - not so much. Currency manipulation, tariffs and state support - they all mean that one person's free trade is another person's rip off. Is globalisation now in retreat? Should it and can it, be abandoned? And what is globalisation anyway? The BBC's Ed Butler is joined by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, US economist and UN adviser based at Columbia University, Michael Stumo, Head of the Coalition for a Prosperous America, which opposes many of his country's recent trade deals, and Professor Pankaj Ghemawat, from the New York University Stern School of Business an

The 2016 Olympic Games have almost bankrupted Rio de Janeiro, and other world cities are pulling out as potential future hosts because of spiralling costs. Does it ever make economic sense to stage what is often dubbed the greatest show on earth? Angry protests greeted the Olympic torch as it entered Rio, with many residents furious about the cost of an event that they fear will leave them no lasting economic or social legacy. Boston, Oslo and Hamburg are just some of the cities that have pulled out of hosting future summer or winter Olympics. It has led some to suggest a major downsizing to safeguard the very future of Olympic hosting, at least in western democracies. But are these fears justified? Ed Butler is joined by Brazilian-born journalist Juliana Barbassa, Allan Brimicombe from the University of East London, economist Andrew Zimbalist from Smith College in Massachusetts, and Simone Perillo from Rome 2024. (Photo: A protester calling for a boycott of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Credit: Ch

Are central banks running out of options to boost sluggish economic growth? Five of them have introduced negative rates, violating one of the most fundamental norms in business and economics. And other ideas, once thought utterly shocking, are now being openly considered. Martin Wolf, chief economic commentator at the Financial Times newspaper, talks with economists and central bankers, past and present, to examine how such policies might affect the way people spend and save in the future. In an interview conducted in June he discusses “helicopter money” with Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda, and asks former Bank of England governor Mervyn King why many economies are still struggling eight years on from the global financial crisis Plus, how much more tinkering can we expect from these experts and how much further might interest rates fall? (Photo: Coins being dropped into a jar. Credit: Thinkstock)

Are the rights of the world's workers being eroded too far in the pursuit of economic growth? France has been plunged into sometimes violent industrial unrest so far this year as the government attempts to push through changes to restrict collective bargaining and make it easier for bosses to fire workers. It says the new rules are needed to stimulate business - a view shared by powerful economic forces like the IMF. But do labour reforms always bring greater prosperity? Or do they leave workers vulnerable to profit-hungry corporations, and increase inequality? Is there a middle way between workers' rights and good business? Ed Butler is joined by Raymond Torres, director of research at the International Labour Organisation, Zoe Lanara, head of international relations at the Greek General Confederation of Labour, and Dan Mitchell, an economist with the Cato Institute in Washington. (Photo: French CGT union members protesting in Marseilles. Credit: Boris Horvat, Getty Images)

A bitter ideological battle is being fought for control over the virtual currency's future. Can it survive if it doesn't expand to accommodate more users and transactions? Meanwhile, banks and others are using Bitcoin's underlying technology to develop their own products and services. Does the blockchain ultimately have more potential? The Bitcoin impasse has led to some high-profile defections, including that of former core developer Mike Hearn. He tells Rory Cellan-Jones why he thinks the experiment has failed. They are joined by Alex Waters, co-founder of Bitcoin investment firm Coin Apex, and Melanie Swan, a philosopher and economic theorist at the New School for Social Research in New York. (Picture: A shop displaying a Bitcoin sign in Hong Kong. Credit: Philippe Lopez, Getty Images)

We are having fewer children than we used to. That's not true everywhere, but the global trend is a declining birth rate and in some countries populations have actually started shrinking. Some have talked of the trend in fairly apocalyptic terms, forecasting the slow death of entire countries, but is it really that catastrophic? Is it in fact the answer to the economic and environmental pressures of population growth? Falling fertility comes at the same time that many of us are living longer - could we find there aren't enough workers to power the world's economies and support the growing numbers of people in retirement? What's causing these fertility declines and what, if anything, should governments and international agencies do about them? In developing parts of the world, where birth rates are comparatively high, is falling fertility still seen as a sign of progress? Andrew Walker is joined by Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director at the United Nations Population Fund, Ronald Lee,

As businesses and their employees get to grips with what Brexit might look like for them, Lizzie O Leary presents a special edition of In the Balance in conjunction with American Public Media's Marketplace programme. She hears from economists in the UK and in Ireland, as well as travelling to the North West of England to a part of the country where nearly 60 per cent of people voted to leave the European Union, even though the consequences of Brexit might cost some of their jobs. Lizzie hears from pro-Brexit economist Andrew Lilico, Executive Director and Principal of Europe Economics, Chris Hare, an analyst at Investec, a bank and asset management company in London and Thomas Sampson, an economist at the London School of Economics and she's joined by Tony Foley, from Dublin City University. For a deeper dive into the industries likely to be affected by Brexit, Lizzie talks to: Jeffries Briginshaw CEO, of the British American Business association, Professor David Bailey a car industry expert at Ast

What does the UK's decision to leave the European Union mean for the future of the single market? Economists talk of sustained market turbulence, devaluations and an imminent recession, but will it be Britain or the EU suffering the worst effects long-term? And as eurosceptic political parties across the continent are buoyed by the UK's vote and call for their own referendums, what must the EU project itself do to survive? Ed Butler is joined by three guests from across the EU: Damien Lempereur from Debout La France, a political party which wants a French exit from the EU; Jens Zimmerman, a member of Germany's Social Democratic Party and part of Angela Merkel's coalition government; and Swati Dhingra, from the London School of Economics. (Picture: A torn European Union flag. Credit: Christopher Furlong, Getty Images)

The world's biggest banks were once a by-word for power, authority, and enormous wealth. Nowadays for some of us, in the wake of the financial crisis, they are a symbol of corporate greed, brutal working hours, and mismanagement. Many of them are shedding tens of thousands of jobs, and have been forced to water down pay and bonuses as part of an increasing tide of regulation. Some observers say that's resulted in a 'brain drain' from financial services, as a growing number of graduates are lured instead to Silicon Valley and the appeal of flexible hours and often greater financial reward. But is this talent shift exaggerated? Earlier this month Goldman Sachs said it had received more than a quarter of a million applications from students and graduates for jobs this summer, a jump of 40% since 2012. So why do so many still want to join the investment banking ranks? Max Kaupp-Roberts, aged 23, tells Ed Butler why he joined Goldman Sachs' London office but quit after less than two years. They are joine

It has been a familiar story of decline in Europe and North America: former industrial areas unable to keep up with global competition, devastated by enormous losses in manufacturing jobs. In a new book, Antoine Van Agtmael - the man who coined the term ‘emerging markets’ – challenges this received wisdom. He tells Manuela Saragosa how places like places like Akron, Ohio and Albany in the United States and Eindhoven and Dresden in Europe are using deep industry expertise, world-class research institutions and a sense of urgency from having hit rock bottom in decades past, to turn their fortunes around. Could the next 'emerging economy' in fact be the West? They are joined by author, commentator and former CEO of Procter & Gamble India, Gucharan Das and urban economist from Harvard University, Edward Glaeser. Image: Hand with light bulbs, Credit: Thinkstock

This week In the Balance takes a look at the gender pay debate through the public arenas of sport and film. Off the stage and field, what lessons can be learnt in everyday business? Last month, world tennis number one Novak Djokovic ignited controversy by saying male tennis players should get more money than their female counterparts, is he right if the men’s game brings in more money? Over in tinsel town actresses like Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lawrence are shining a light on gender pay discrepancy – but is it vulgar to talk about money when you are already earning millions of dollars? The BBC’s Ed Butler hears from retired US goalkeeper Briana Scurry - one of the first women to participate in a woman’s paid professional league- Terry Lawler, Executive Director of ‘New York Women in Film & Television’ and labour market economist Andrew Chamberlain. Image: Actress Jennifer Lawrence, Credit: Getty Images

In the week that Oculus Rift launched its very first consumer headset, In the Balance returns with a programme exploring the many guises of ‘virtual reality’ and asks is it the next big technology of the future? With rival products from the likes of Samsung, Sony and HTC all out recently or expected this year– which company will come out on top? The BBC’s Ed Butler is joined by Jeremy Bailenson; virtual reality expert at Stanford University’ and author of ‘Infinite Reality: The Hidden Blueprint of Our Virtual Lives’, Nonny De La Peña; an Immersive Journalist known as the ‘godmother of virtual reality’ and the BBC’s technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones. Plus, we get a taste of a real-life application already in use today courtesy of architecture practice 'Ackroyd + Associates'. Image: woman with virtual reality headset, Credt: Thinkstock

How does business stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive global marketplace? While the world's biggest companies - Google and Apple - wrestle for the top spot and some of the world's smallest start-ups set their eyes on the big time, we offer a masterclass with CEOs sharing the secrets of their success. With CEO of Infosys Vishal Sikka, James Citrin of Spencer Stuart, Marieme Jamme of SpotOne Global Solutions and analyst Steve Denning. Presented by Colm O'Regan. (Photo: Surfer Dog Tillman rides a wave in the sixth Annual Surf Dog competition at Huntington Beach, California. Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

A CEO who took a million dollar pay-cut and gave his workers more, tells us why he did it and we ask what's the best wage level for success in a company, a country or in a pocket? With Dan Price of Gravity Payments, former George W Bush adviser Diana Furchtgott-Roth and Fight for $15 campaigner Kendall Fells. (Photo: Fast food workers stage protests for higher wages in the US. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)