Humanity is striving for improvement. For the first time such a concept as a social state ( welfare state) was considered by Lorentz von Stein in the middle of the 19th century. Then it was believed that the idea of such a country was to restore equality and freedom. In addition, it was necessary to raise the lower and destitute classes of society to the level of the rich and strong. But this can be realized through the state, which will ensure that the social and economic progress of all its citizens is carried out.
Construction principles
The theory of the welfare state provides for such implementation features as the active participation of people aimed at solving social problems, a
mixed economy and so on, which can be seen in most countries of the world that are economically developed. Therefore, the most various options for its implementation are now presented, with practical features considered and systematized. You can get acquainted with them in social theory. In addition, in theory there are a number of assumptions about how to improve the current state of affairs.
When creating types of state, social policy is built around certain principles that are internally related. Such are the stratification of social groups, the nature of state intervention and the limit of transition of market distribution to bureaucratic.
Coming to prosperity
The concepts of the welfare state and welfare policies became widespread after World War II. A distinctive feature of this time is the presence of a powerful labor movement that voted for the parties of the left deviation, so the Social Democrats often won. At the same time, it was possible to pursue a policy within the framework of which conditions were created for the gradual growth of the economy and increase its efficiency, and relatively fairly to distribute the results of prosperity, therefore welfare states have become what we see them now. After all, a beneficial effect was exerted on the population of countries and on a number of internal factors, the stabilization of which led to the desired result.
Theory
Keynesian doctrine of economic policy considers the welfare state as an
integrated stabilizer of the country. Due to the multifunctional nature, the ability to simultaneously satisfy many conflicting aspects and strategies, such an organization of affairs is attractive to a wide range of diverse forces.
Of interest in this case is the concept of the welfare state, voiced by C. Offe. What is she like? He believed that the essence of the welfare state was formed as a combination of the consequences of a wide range of factors, the structure of which varies in different countries. These were socio-demographic reformism, Christian socialism, large sectoral trade unions, and the presence of enlightened political and economic elites. All this influenced the fact that comprehensive compulsory insurance schemes were recognized and implemented, a minimum wage rate was established, laws on labor protection were adopted, and the education and health care system was developed. In addition, people can count on the state in the matter of obtaining housing (here, only assistance is meant, not a free apartment). Unions were also recognized as legitimate political and economic representatives of workers.
The onset of crisis
Representatives of the theory of the welfare state argued that in the end, many difficulties could be solved, and in the future such a model would avoid problems within the country. But it was not so easy. At the end of the 70s, significant social guarantees, high unemployment and an aging population began to put pressure on the state budget. But that was only the beginning. P. Rosanvallon (French researcher) argued that this model survived three crises only in the twentieth century:
- Economic.
- Ideological.
- Philosophical.
Let us consider them in more detail.
Crises
At the end of the 70s, it seemed that utopia would soon reign in public life. People will be protected from basic life risks and needs. But from the beginning of the 90s, a significant (relatively) increase in unemployment began and new forms of poverty appeared. They showed that the proposals made earlier were illusory. Thus, the welfare state survived the first economic crisis. The ideological is in the 80s. Then the effectiveness of the methods of state intervention in the economic sector of public life (when this was done to solve
social problems) was called into question
. The bureaucratization of the state apparatus, as well as the closed nature of the decisions made, were especially criticized. This resulted in a confusion of priorities. This in turn caused a crisis of legitimacy. It all remained unresolved. In the late 90s, a philosophical crisis arose. In addition to all of the above, the concept of social rights and the principles of social solidarity were called into question. But they were the conceptual and value foundations of the model used.
Retreat
Let's move away a little from the main topic of the article and devote our attention to such a historical phenomenon as the heavenly welfare state. The concept considered earlier was created in the late 1920s. Whereas the "heavenly" originates in the 19th century.
During the “opium” wars, some of the Chinese wanted to live by the principle of equal distribution and not be influenced by aggressors (the main of which was the British Empire). At first they acted quite successfully. But, alas, the movement was broken, and what it would eventually turn into, we can only judge.
Directivity
The main thing in this concept is to overcome social conflicts, when with the help of the state tolerable living conditions are created for absolutely all sectors of society. To do this, social assistance programs are used for low-income and poor people, measures are taken to reduce unemployment and so on. That is, problems that the market itself cannot make out can be solved. To some extent, the program that worked in the USSR was adopted.
Thanks to this, the term “social state” arose and is actively used. In a certain sense, any country falls under it, because there are people everywhere, but here a slightly different direction is understood. So, the state is called social, which takes upon itself the provision of all residents with a certain amount of social benefits: the right to education, a living wage, medical care and so on.
Such a country with the help of taxation wants to create a certain balance between the rich and the poor. She tries to guarantee the minimum necessary level for a civilized existence. The main stumbling block for proponents of this concept is economic problems. But it is believed that over time this will be resolved. Subsequently, people will not have to strain at work, as they will be fully provided. The love of money will be considered as it should be - a painful condition.
Practical introduction
The first steps in the direction of the welfare state, which lasted a long time (and not as with the Chinese for several years), were taken in the 80s of the 19th century in Germany. The government of Otto von Bismarck initiated this change. It implemented a social security system, which included
unemployment benefits, sickness and accident insurance
, and old-age pensions. But this was introduced not so much because of concern for ordinary citizens, but rather to weaken the gaining influence of the socialist party of Germany. This example turned out to be contagious, and many other governments began to use the gained experience.
The case of Sweden is especially indicative in this case. The country has practically eradicated poverty, despite the fact that it has some of the highest taxes. The ongoing activities are called "socially-oriented policies." The existence of the USSR had a considerable influence on the increase in the scale and pace of the introduction of these programs. For the possibility of competition, free secondary and higher education, health care and so on were provided.
Conclusion
The welfare state is a kind of equivalent of socialist ideology on the part of the liberal-capitalist camp. Despite a number of successes, many political scientists do not take it seriously because of existing problems. As a reference point, it is often called the fact that such a worldview entails the danger of becoming a consumer society, which has a number of negative consequences.