CP Final- Welfare States

What is a welfare state?

states that provide safety net for the most vulnerable groups of the population, often through offering social insurance, public health care plans, and poverty relief

What is a modern state?

A political unit with a defined territory, population, bureaucracy, and monopoly on legitimate violence

key functions of the modern state

Security, rule of law, taxation, administration, and public goods provision

Liberal welfare state

minimal government role

market-oriented policies

US

Corporatist/ continental welfare state

state helps families unable to succeed in market

to preserve status hierarchy

medium inequality/de-commodification

Germany

Social democratic welfare state

state provides comprehensive social services

strong social safety net

low inequality

Scandinavian countries

What are the theories explaining the emergence of the welfare state?

cultural changes: people became more convinced over time that state could solve problems

industrial capitalism: emerging modern economy drove change & welfare states are reactions to some of these changes

mobilization and political action: specific actors and groups have a role to play in shaping welfare states

Problems with welfare states

high costs

demographic aging

dependency

globalization pressures