Social Welfare Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

A social welfare policy is any policy that improves the welfare of citizens. As a result, a range of programs affecting the health, education, housing, employment, civil rights, and economic conditions of citizens can qualify as a social welfare policy. However, the primary types of social welfare policies are ones that protect the benefits of those who have contributed to society and ones that provide benefits or services to those who fall below certain income levels. This entry discusses the distinguishing features of these two types of social welfare programs, as well as the main issues surrounding them.

Social Insurance

Social insurance is, perhaps, the most recognizable social welfare policy. These policies aim to maintain the income of citizens who had contributed to society when they are experiencing economic or social distress. For example, Germany enacted a compulsory sickness insurance program for industrial workers in 1883. By the end of World War I (1914–1918), most of western Europe, the United States, and Canada had adopted similar programs. Today, almost every nation has some form of worker’s compensation program that provides cash or medical benefits to workers who suffer job-related injuries. Most of these programs are financed by employer contributions and are usually administered through a central financing scheme. In the United States, worker’s compensation is implemented at the state level, and it is much more limited in coverage than in many other nations.

Other types of social insurance programs focus on providing cash benefits or medical care to citizens because of other types of economic or social situations, such as retirement, unemployment, sickness, or maternity. The structure, coverage, financing, and administration of these programs vary widely across nations. Some countries (like Japan) implement programs in a very centralized manner using national-level organizations; others (Canada and the United States) rely more heavily on subnational governmental jurisdictions. Some countries (e.g., Sweden) provide fairly generous benefits, while others (like Britain) use more restrictive criteria to determine who is covered and what benefits they receive. There are also a variety of different funding mechanisms and implementation designs in use. For example, Germany relies extensively on taxes from the current workforce to pay for program benefits and services (referred to as pay-as-you-go systems), while Japan depends on private pension schemes in which individuals invest independently for their future retirement.

The largest, most expensive, and best known social insurance policy is the old-age pension plan program. In most countries, this program began by providing benefits to those who had made direct contributions into the system. Over the years this program has extended to cover additional groups in society (e.g., widows and children of workers) and the idea of receiving benefits is now widely viewed as a “right” of citizenship in most nations—regardless of previous contributions, earnings, or conditions. This, in turn, has placed greater demands on old-age pension systems to maintain higher benefit levels and services for much larger portions of the population.

Social Assistance

Social assistance is the second major type of social welfare policy. Here, benefits are distributed to those who fall below a certain income level or meet specific eligibility criteria (e.g., parents of low-income children or individuals with severe medical problems). Social assistance programs are not designed

to maintain the income levels of those who have previously contributed. Instead, they aim to provide a basic level of support (social safety net) to those who could not provide for themselves and their families. Social assistance programs (such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program in the United States) are often more controversial than their social insurance counterparts. Those who receive social assistance benefits do not make payments or contributions into the system. Instead, the funding is redistributed from those who can pay to those who are in need of assistance.

The Role Of The Public Versus The Private Sector

Public institutions play a key role in the development and implementation of contemporary social welfare programs. However, private and nonprofit organizations (e.g., individual families, charity associations, religious groups, community organizations) also have long been involved in the provision of social welfare around the world. The mix of governmental and private sector activity in social welfare policy making has varied across nations and across time. As such, the role of the public sector versus the private sector often is used to identify different reasons for and patterns of national social program development, as well as different types or models of social welfare systems. Government involvement is still an important aspect of contemporary social policy. But many nations have reduced their public sector social welfare commitments (because of demographic shifts, increased citizen demands for services, declining revenues, and general economic problems), encouraging greater participation by the private sector.

Other Lingering Questions

In addition to the public versus private discussion, there are a number of other lingering questions about contemporary social welfare policies. Is it the responsibility of everyone in society to pay for social welfare services, or should benefits be tied more directly to individual contributions and obligations? Should social welfare services be provided universally, or should they be restricted to those who have the greatest financial need? In sum, what have been the impacts of social welfare policies? Do they actually improve the lives and welfare of citizens?

Bibliography:

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Furniss, Norman, and Timothy Tilson. The Case for the Welfare State. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1977.
Jessop, Bob. The Future of the Capitalist State. Cambridge, U.K.: Polity, 2002.
Mishra, Ramesh. Society and Social Policy: Theoretical Perspectives on Welfare. London: Macmillan, 1977.
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Wilensky, Harold L. The Welfare State and Equality. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1975.

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