The time following the Second World War turned out to be a crucial time for the development of national welfare states. European countries took different approaches to support their people. Some countries like the United Kingdom built a completely new welfare system while others like Germany and Austria decided to keep existing social welfare systems (Kaelble 264). Ultimately different plans and ideas regarding welfare led to divisions between countries that still exist. Different countries have different values regarding the necessary level of contribution one must put in to receive welfare benefits. Additionally, countries disagree on how generous benefits should be. All of these competing philosophies and visions have led to the creation …show more content…
Such as the idea that the system is concerned with preserving status differential like workers and housewives which can lead to benefits that vary. A third welfare system is the Social Democrat or Scandinavian type. The Scandinavian type exists in Northern Europe and provides generous benefits to all citizens. A distinguishing feature of the Scandinavian type is the idea of Universalism and the emphasis on social equality. The system’s policies exist throughout one’s life or “cradle to grave.” A forth welfare system is the Southern European type which is similar to the Corporatist Continental type, but has less size and scope. Finally, there is the Communist East European welfare state which follows the Soviet Union’s model for social security (Kaelble 265). Overall, Europe has five unique types of welfare states. Each system has a different idea on how government should operate and how much government should intervene to help its citizens. The differences in the development of welfare states in Europe, particularly during the Cold War period, have led to deep divisions in Europe. Countries hold a different set of values and principles that must be respected in order to form a strong …show more content…
The Capitalism versus Communism showdown that occurred during the Cold War has left profound effects on Europe today. In 2014 The fourteen poorest countries in Europe, by GDP per capita, hailed in Eastern Europe (World Economic Outlook). Nearly all of those countries subscribed to a Communist philosophy during the Cold War. Furthermore, Eastern European countries are still suffering the consequences from underdevelopment during and after the Cold War. Consequently, Eastern Europeans are still trying to catch up to their Western brethren. Furthermore, much of the political power within Europe is held by Western Europeans and several Eastern nations have not yet gained admittance into the European Union. Overall the East-West divide during the Cold War is still having systematic consequences on how Europe is shaped today and how it will be shaped moving forward. Another divide in modern Europe is the North-South divide. The recent European debt crisis highlighted the vast economic discrepancies between Northern and Southern European countries. Southern countries like Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, and Spain suffer tremendously from piling debt and Northern European nations have felt burdened by their neighbors to the South. However, if Northern countries do not come to the aid of their fiscally irresponsible brothers than the entire economic system of the Euro
This essay will attempt to assess the impact of the 1942 Beveridge Report on the post 1945 UK welfare state. A welfare state is essentially ‘policy intervention through the state [to provide] forms of support and protection’ for all its citizens. (Alcock: 1998: 4) This means that the state will fund or provide provisions for services which are of need to its citizens. This is funded through citizens who pay taxes or National Insurance when they have active work, which in turn helps out the vulnerable members within a society. This concept is in essence designed to maintain the welfare of citizens from birth to the grave.
After World War II, Europe emerged as a continent torn between two very different political ideologies, Communism and Democracy. As the two major superpowers, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States, struggled to defend their respective governmental policies, the European Continent was caught in an intrinsic struggle to preserve the autonomy which had taken so long to achieve. During the Cold War, Eastern European nations struggled to achieve autonomy with the help of the West's dedication to break the Soviet sphere of influence. After the disintegration of the USSR, the struggle for autonomy among nations shifted from an intense, inward, nationalistic struggle to break away from a superpower to a commitment of international unity and cooperation as nations began to take moral and political responsibility for their actions.
O?Beirne, Kate. ?The State of Welfare: An old and tricky question resurfaces.? National Review 54.2 (February 11, 2002): 1--2. Online. Information Access Expanded
The welfare system has helped families over time sometimes for their entire lives. Welfare is a social support system that helps families. It is provided by the government. Funding for the welfare system comes from general government revenue. The welfare system was originally call the aid to dependent children and this was created in the great depression. The AFDC was created to decrease the poverty during this time in American history. Overtime the welfare system has evolved. Although welfare provides assistance to some families, some people take advantage of the system by living off of unemployment and this can cause unfair expenses for taxpayers.
The United States is often referred to as a ‘reluctant welfare state.’ There are various reasons for this description. One of the primary reasons for this is the differences and diversity of the political parties which are the motivating forces that control government. The Liberal Party, for instance supports government safety nets and social service programs for those in need. “Liberals believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all.” ("Studentnews," 2006) They believe it is the responsibility of government to ensure that the needs of all citizens are met, and to intervene to solve problems. The responsibility of government is to alleviate social ills, to protect civil liberties and sustain individual and human rights. Liberals support most social and human service programs; such as TANF, including long-term welfare, housing programs, government regulated health care, Medicare, Medicaid, social security, and educational funding. Their goal is to create programs that promote equal opportunity regardless of gender, age, race, orientation, nationality or religion, along with many others. Liberals believe that government participation is essential and a means to bring about fairness and justice to the American way of life.
In today’s America, there are many people who would either be disgusted at the very mention of Welfare or be highly grateful for its existence. I believe that in order for welfare to be more effective in America, there must be reform. From the time of its inceptions in 1935, welfare has lent a helping hand to many in crisis (Constitution Rights Foundation). However, at present many programs within the system are being abused and the people who are in real need are being cheated out of assistance. The year after the creation of welfare unemployment was just about twenty percent (Unemployment Statistics). The need for basic resources to survive was unparallel. Today, many people face the same needs as many did during the 30s. Some issues with
This mini-paper will discuss the social welfare system. The mini-paper includes a discussion of welfare Policy, residual and institutional approach, and what is Social Welfare and Social Security. Midgely, (2009), pointed out that social welfare systems deliver services that facilitate and empower our society, especially to those persons who require assistance in meeting their basic human needs. The goal of social welfare is to provide social services to citizens from diverse cultures, and examples include Medicare, Medicaid, and food benefits. Midgley,( 2009).
We must work for it ourselves and strive for greatness by pursuing our own self interest. By relying on the state, our success will be directly proportional to theirs. Once their success crashes, so will ours. An example that greatly depicts this perspective is the “Grest Leap Forward” in China in 1958. This idea was meant to develop and expant China’s agriculture and industry. For this to work, China adapted a collectivist idea called “communes” where a group of people work as one and share responsibilities. They no longer worked for themselves but worked as a collective. The idea of a welfare state is similar to what the government was able to provide its people. Essential needs such as health care, schools, nurseries were all provided. Elderls were taken care of so that all those who could work were able to work. However, as great as it may sound, consequences were met. The government crashed and the people could no longer support themselves since they gave everything that they owned up. Over 40 million people died. Eventhough this example is extreme, it illustrates the idea that collectivism creates a domino affect in an economy. Once the wall in whcih everyone is leaning on, falls down, everyone falls with
The United States is sometimes described as a “reluctant welfare state.” I agree with this statement. Too often there are programs created by our government that, although may be lined with good intentions, end up failing in their main purpose. The government may, and hopefully does, seek to help its citizens. However, by applying unreasonable qualifying or maintenance criteria, or too many restrictions that bar people from even receiving aid at all, they end up with many more problems than solutions. Three examples of policies that do this are: Medicare, No Child Left Behind, and TANF, or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Welfare has been a safety net for many Americans, when the alternative for them is going without food and shelter. Over the years, the government has provided income for the unemployed, food assistance for the hungry, and health care for the poor. The federal government in the nineteenth century started to provide minimal benefits for the poor. During the twentieth century the United States federal government established a more substantial welfare system to help Americans when they most needed it. In 1996, welfare reform occurred under President Bill Clinton and it significantly changed the structure of welfare. Social Security has gone through significant change from FDR’s signing of the program into law to President George W. Bush’s proposal of privatized accounts.
There are three aspects of the American Welfare System that includes social insurance programs, public assistance programs, and private or sector welfare. Each of these aspects
You both bring up excellent points in regard to the wealthy. It appears policies reflect and benefit the wealthy most times. In addition we the 99% spend a lot of time fighting among ourselves over social welfare programs, that we are lead to believe impact us from making more money or creating more jobs. Furthermore, they bring up legislation like drug testing to stigmatize the poor even more. What was great about learning the history of the welfare system was Trattner (1999) indicated the Social Worker spent at the time time were like activist for the poor and I think that missing currently in our human service field. They created and demanded change during the 1920s and during the new deal (Trattner, 1999). Therefore, I believe working
Welfare is a public assistance program that provides at least a minimum amount of economic security to people whose incomes are insufficient to maintain an adequate standard of living. These programs generally include such benefits as financial aid to individuals, subsidized medical care, and stamps that are used to purchase food. The modern U.S. welfare system dates back to the Great Depression of the 1930’s. During the worst parts of the Depression, about one-fourth of the labor force was without work. More than two-thirds of all households would have been considered poor by today's standards. With a majority of the capable adult population experiencing severe financial misfortune, many Americans turned to the government for answers. In response, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt led a social and economic reform movement attacking the Depression. Part of his newly enacted “New Deal” program was the Social Security Act, enacted by Congress in 1935. This act and established a number of social welfare programs, each designed to provide support for different segments of the population.
The alienation of intellectuals and the authoritative nature of communist regimes further contributed to the failure of communism in Europe. However, the collapse of the Berlin Wall would not have occurred had it not been for Gorbachev’s Glasnost, Perestroika, and the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine. Along with German official Schabowski, whose actions were the catalyst for the mass exodus of persons from the GDR into West Germany. The collapse of the Berlin Wall would not have occurred so swiftly had Gorbachev not tried to implement reforms to communism. Europe was divided into two blocks; the communist East and the democratic West was governed collectively by the French, British, and Americans, respectively.