The term welfare state designates a community, which is anxious to adjust social differences - material nature - between its members up to a certain degree in order the sharing of all at the social and political developments to ensure. Constitutionalists use therefore also the term social constitutional state.

The welfare state is to manufacture social security and social justice, to protect its citizens states of distress or to them in case of the emergency assistance offer. Expression of the welfare state principle in Germany are the social security. In addition count the health insurance, old age pension insurance, accident insurance, nursing care insurance and unemployment insurance.

Welfare state becomes thereby in German usually synomym welfare state (English: "“in addition, welfare state"”) used, implies in relation to alternative concept than liberty-endangering a more moderate noticed Ausufern of the welfare state.

Apart from a criticism at the welfare state on the part of an unrestricted endorsement of free free-market economy there is v.a. criticism from toolistic perspective: this asks the question about the sexual division of labor and the social inequality between the sexes, resulting accepted in the welfare state, reproduced and, from it.

Anchorage in the Basic Law

The welfare state principle belongs the constitutional state, to the federalism and beside the democracy principle to the basis of the constitutional system of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Basic Law (kind 20 GG) specifies:

'' "„The Federal Republic of Germany is a democratic and social Federal State. "“

The welfare state principle is embodied thereby in the Basic Law as a state goal, which apart from the warranty and which human rights the protection of the eternity warranty kind 79 exp. 3 GG (eternity clause) enjoys.

The fundamental right catalog of the kind 1-19 GG calls however with exception of the maternity protection in kind 6 exp. 4 GG explicitly no legally binding social fundamental rights or partner-genuine, as for instance a right to work. Also a certain economic system does not give the condition. It protects the private property, binds its use however to the public interest. Article 14 II GG reads:

"„Property obligates. Its use is to serve the well-being of the public at the same time. "“

Consequently the economic system of the Federal Republic is often called social free-market economy, since the state reserves itself the right to intervene umverteilend in the economic life while the economy orients itself at the same time at the market - contrary to the central planned economy. The term "„social free-market economy "“decreases/goes back to the political economist Alfred Mueller Armack, which was under Ludwig Erhard undersecretary of state in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs.

History of the welfare state

Already in the antique one and in the Middle Ages was there isolates attempts on the part of the state, the material emergency of its citizens or subjects too lindern. Behind it stood since ever ago the thought to prevent unrests and rebellions and for political stability ensure.

Also the origins of the modern welfare state thought decrease/go back to such considerations. Developed it itself in 19. Century as consequence of the Industriellen revolution and the mass pauperization of broad social classes. It is based on the realization that property is the basis for the practice of rights and that liberty remains unsubstantial, if their practice is not ensured by property. By national rearrangement arms and weak ones should receive an elementary basic safety device.

Socialnational acting was however always at the same time administrative policy, which aimed at the preservation of the social peace. So among realm chancellors Otto von Bismarck in the 80's 19 should. Century in Germany from revolutionary efforts hold introduced pension, ill and accident insurance the increasing social class of the industrial workers. The heavy damage protection became after that 1. World war 1919, the unemployment insurance 1927 imported. 1995 followed the nursing care insurance.

Since that 2. World war the socialnational achievements in nearly all Western European states were extended beyond the pure basic safety device.

Crisis of the welfare state

In view of economic problems of the welfare state by the leaving restaurant boom of the German reunification, the globalization, the demographic development in Germany ("“obsolescence"”), the expansion of the national indebtedness and increasing unemployment, in addition, regarding a priority shift of the government in view to the Federal Budget in favor of the security politics (later also in the context so-called war against the terrorism), it came to the criticism at the arrangement of the welfare state once publicised by those, it and thus to reform efforts on the part of the policy. Partially national achievements, which over taxes and deliveries as well as new indebtedness of the state could not be financed any longer, were shortened.

Literature

• Alfred Mueller Armack: Genealogy of the social free-market economy. (meets early writings 1945-1948 as well as contributions to the mental bases and for the development of the social free-market economy from 1953 to 1973). First 1974; 2. erw. edition (1981).
• Christoph Butterwegge, Rudolf Hickel, Ralf Ptak: Welfare state and neoliberale hegemony. From the location nationalism to the dissolution of the democracy. ESPRESSO publishing house, 1998, ISBN 3-88520-718-4
• Christoph Butterwegge: Crisis and future of the welfare state.

Related links

• "“Welfare state"” in hand dictionary of the political system of the Federal Republic of (federal center for political education)
• The denunzierte welfare state (taz)
• Information of the federation about the topic "“welfare state"”

See also

• Welfare state
• Charity
• Public interest
• Social security benefit
• Social criminality

Articles in category "Welfare state"

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