Modern welfare state Concept and consequences

Modern welfare state

Concept and consequences

Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and the concept of welfare state;

“It is not our purpose to make the rich richer and to accelerate the process of accumulation in the hands of few individuals. We should aim at leveling up the general standard of living amongst the masses, our ideal should not be capitalistic but Islamic and the interests and welfare of the people as a whole should be kept constantly in mind”

Definition of welfare state;

1)      A social system based on the assumption by a political state of primary responsibility for the individual and social welfare of its citizens.

2)      A nation or state characterized by the operation of the welfare state system.

3)      A welfare state is a concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the social and economic well-being of its citizens.

4)      A state which ends poverty, illiteracy, injustice and provides basic facilities to its citizens.

5)      A social system based on the assumption by a political state of primary responsibility for the individual and social welfare of its citizens.

6)      A state that cares for the basic needs of its citizens and enables them to live a peaceful life is called a welfare state.  

7)      Welfare state also means the creation of a ‘social safety net’ of minimum standards of varying forms of welfare.

The welfare state describes a variety of political practices and processes related to the arrangement of a social and economic order within a polity. The term welfare state was allegedly coined in 1941 by Sir William Temple in Britain in his description of the difference between National Socialist Germany (a warfare state) and British society (a welfare state).

A welfare state concept;

A welfare state is a concept of government where the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The general term may cover a variety of forms of economic and social organization.

In the strictest sense, a welfare state is a government that provides for the welfare, or the well-being, of its citizens completely. Such a government is involved in citizen’s lives at every level. It provides for physical, material, and social needs rather than the people providing for their own.

The purpose of the welfare state;

The purpose of the welfare state is to create economic equality or to assure equitable standards of living for all.

The welfare state provides;

The welfare state provides education, housing, sustenance, healthcare, pensions, unemployment insurance, sick leave or time off due to injury, supplemental income in some cases, and equal wages through price and wage controls. It also provides for public transportation, childcare, social amenities such as public parks and libraries, as well as many other goods and services. Some of these items are paid for via government insurance programs while others are paid for by taxes.

Duties of welfare state;

The duties of a welfare state may include;

1)      Employment

2)      Education

3)      Consultation

4)      Equal opportunities

5)      Economic activities

6)      Quick and cheap justice

7)      Equal distribution of wealth

8)      Existence of peace

9)      Health

TWO FORMS OF THE WELFARE STATE 

There are two ways of organizing a welfare state:

1)      According to the first model the state is primarily concerned with directing the resources to “the people most in need”. This requires a tight bureaucratic control over the people concerned, with a maximum of interference in their lives to establish who are "in need" and minimize cheating.

2)      According to the second model the state distributes welfare with as little bureaucratic interference as possible, to all people who fulfill easily established criteria (e.g. having children, receiving medical treatment, etc.). This requires high taxing, of which almost everything is channeled back to the taxpayers with minimum expenses for bureaucratic personnel.

Today, state role;

Today state is not merely a police state exercising sovereign functions but as a progressive democratic state, it seeks to ensure social security and social welfare for the common man, it regulates industrial relations exercising control over the production, manufacture, and distribution of essentials commodities, starts many enterprises, tries to achieve equality for all and to ensure equal pay for equal work.  

Principles of policy and welfare state;

These are the guidelines to the federal government and act as an instrument of instructions to governance of the state. They are embodied in part 2 and chapter 2 of the constitution of pakistan 1973. This is also an endeavor towards the welfare state, as per to these principles state shall strive to promote the welfare of people by every means.  

Whether Pakistan a welfare state;

Yes theoretically Pakistan is a Welfare State.. It is in its constitution itself has as Directive Principles of policy and Pakistan always seems to achieve it.. But these Welfare policies are not adequately monitored and implemented. Rather it has given an effective corruption and partials.

Conclusion and Observation

The welfare state is such a convenient and elastic phrase that it is tailored to fit various developments in the social and economic fields. It has no fixation of outline or a conceptual precision. In its ambiguity lie its uses.

Finally I can say that a welfare state is determined by the type of government, if the government provides services for the welfare or well-being of its citizens entirely then it is known as a welfare state.

The main objective of a welfare state is to essentially create social and economic equality and to ensure fair standards of living, fair access to justice, freedom of faith and speech and complete transparency in decision making of officials and executives.

The services that the welfare state provides includes education, housing, sustenance, health services, unemployment insurance, days off for sickness or injuries, additional income in special circumstances and equivalent wages through price and wage controls. Other services that a welfare state provides include public transportation, child care, social public goods like public parks and libraries, and other such goods and services. Some of the services provided could be funded by government insurance programs or taxes collected by the government.

Hence it could be said that the final purpose of a welfare state is the well-being of citizens.

“It’s great to have a law… but it doesn’t make it happen”

Quote by; Norm Forman