Question

Explain what is meant by a welfare state. Discuss recent trends in the size of welfare states.

Answer 1

A type of government in which the government of the country plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizen s is called a welfare state. Welfare states are based on the principles of; equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth and public responsibility for those who are unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions of a good life. Some of the examples of the welfare state are; Social security federally mandated unemployment insurance programs and welfare payments to people who are unable to work. Most modern countries practice some elements of what is considered the welfare state. According to Skolnik and Dales (1976), the increasing size of the welfare state is based on the composition of the; state, local, and federal expenditures for welfare. Based on the economy of the recent times there is a change in the composition and hence a decline in the expenditures.