Welfare State: what it is, origin and characteristics

welfare state, or welfare state, is a model of government in which the State is committed to guaranteeing the economic and social well-being of the population.

The welfare state is also called the welfare state, as the government adopts measures in it. active to protect the health and general well-being of citizens, especially those in need financial.

What is the aim of the welfare state?

The aim of the welfare state is to ensure that citizens have equal opportunities and a fair distribution of wealth. In addition, the State takes responsibility for individuals who are unable to maintain a decent life through the distribution of subsidies, scholarships, concessions and other measures.

In practice, the characteristics of the welfare state vary according to the government of each country. In the United States, however, the term welfare state it has a pejorative connotation that differs from the rest of the world, meaning only “helping the poor”.

The welfare state can be defined broadly or narrowly. The broad sense is rarely adopted by sociologists and consists of any government contribution to the well-being of citizens, such as:

  • paving streets and sidewalks;
  • public transportation;
  • Sewerage;
  • garbage collection;
  • policing;
  • schools, etc.

In a strict sense, as is commonly addressed, the welfare state is one that establishes measures such as:

  • unemployment insurance;
  • pensions for the elderly;
  • maternity leave;
  • medical assistance, etc.

How did the welfare state come about?

In the context of social policies, the State is historically classified into three distinct periods:

  • liberal state
  • social state
  • neoliberal state

The welfare state is inserted in the second stage and is the result of several transformations that have taken place over time. Gradually, governments around the world began to assume responsibility for ensuring the well-being of the population through active measures.

Among the main causes that led to the emergence of the welfare state are:

Conquest of political rights by the working class

Through class struggle, the working class acquired political rights at the end of the 19th century, resulting in the socialization of politics. Thus, civil society gained access to decision-making and the elite lost its monopoly over the State.

With the representation of the working class, the State gradually assumed the duty to protect their rights.

socialist revolution in russia

The October Revolution (also called the Bolshevik Revolution), which took place in Russia in 1917, was a socialist revolution in which the working class forced the resignation of the monarch Nicholas II. The movement ended tsarism in Russia and gave rise to the Soviet Union.

The episode had consequences for the capitalist model around the world, which began to be rethought in order to avoid similar revolutions. This reinforced the importance of guaranteeing the rights of the working class.

Monopoly Capitalism

When capitalism moved from the competitive phase to the monopoly phase, the liberal state model began to be questioned. This is because the State began to invest in companies, increasing speed and production, which resulted in a high concentration of capital in the hands of a few. This new reality made the emergence of small businesses difficult and shook classical liberal ideals, facilitating the transition to the welfare state.

1929 crisis

The Crisis of 1929 (also known as the Great Depression) was a period of severe recession in the world economy. The crisis was caused by the overproduction that followed the First World War, due to the need to supply the continent. As European countries re-established themselves, exports, particularly in the United States, declined, creating a wide disparity between production and consumption.

The 1929 Crisis revealed the flaws of the liberal model and presented the need for active state intervention in the economy. Thus, it can be said that the welfare state gained more relevance from the 1930s onwards.

4 main characteristics of the Welfare State

The welfare state is not a fixed model of government, therefore, it presents itself in different forms around the world. However, among the general features of the welfare state they are:

Adopts Measures of a Socialist Nature

Even in capitalist countries, the welfare measures of the welfare state are of socialist nature, as they aim at equitable income redistribution and equal opportunities for all. Among the main measures of this type are pensions, scholarships, insurance and other assistance concessions.

Have Protective Legislation

As a way to protect the rights of vulnerable citizens, the welfare state has legislation aimed at protection of their rights, such as minimum wage, safety and health at work, vacations, restrictions on child labor, etc.

State intervention in the economy

To guarantee the rights of citizens, the welfare state is actively involved in the economy.

Nationalization of Companies

The welfare state tends to nationalize companies in strategic sectors so that the government has the necessary tools to promote public services. Among the most targeted areas are housing, basic sanitation, transport, leisure, etc.

Welfare State Crisis

By assuming numerous responsibilities to citizens, the welfare state faces several difficulties and, therefore, its effectiveness is questioned around the world.

When government expenditures, added to the burdens related to the population's well-being, exceed public revenues, the country enters a fiscal crisis. This scenario is what is called the crisis of the welfare state.

Among the main evidences of the crisis of the welfare state are the measures taken by Margareth Thatcher during the period when she was prime minister in Great Britain (1979-1990). Thatcher acknowledged that the state no longer had the financial conditions to maintain welfare measures and, at the same time, promote economic growth. Thus, the government of the region made the transition to neoliberalism.

Welfare State in Brazil

In Brazil, the welfare state manifested itself in the government of Getúlio Vargas, in the 1940s. The period was marked by the establishment of labor laws, especially the minimum wage. Since then, the country has followed the tradition of protecting social rights, either through legislation or welfare measures.

Currently, Brazil has several measures that are characteristic of the welfare state, such as maternity leave, racial quotas, unemployment insurance, social security, etc.

See too:

  • liberal state
  • Liberalism
  • neoliberalism
  • Capitalism
  • financial capitalism
  • capitalism and socialism

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