Unit 6: (Week 11 & Week 12) Public Policy and Welfare States

The welfare state is an essential institution in any modern society. Although there is a lot of controversy that surround the idea of welfare state  but in very general sense by wefare state we mean  ‘that the State should not merely protect the persons and property of citizens(s), but should also endeavour to promote their welfare a model by some more positive action or interference on their behalf.’ In short, the welfare state modifies the impact of the market, by providing some sort of minimum guarantee (mitigating poverty); covering a range of social risks (security), and providing certain services (health care, child and elder care, etc.) – at the best standards available. Welfare states differ as regards the level of ambition and the mix between these aspects: Coverage may include a broad or a narrow range of risks and services, and minima may alleviate poverty or aim at providing equality (see welfare regimes below).  For example the German approach, largely based on the lines set up by Bismarck, who tied social insurance closely to the labour market, seeing the route to prosperity mainly in terms of participation in the economy. Whereas in France, solidarity was taken as the model for further development, with the main aim of policy being to extend solidarity as far as possible. The major objective of this unit is to introduce students to various existing models of social welfare. 

Week 11: Lecture 11

  • The welfare states

  • Influences on development

  • Patterns in the development of welfare states Explanations for development

  • Models of welfare

Week 12: Lecture 12

  • Welfare regimes

  • Welfare regimes ‐ different principles of solidarity 

  • Welfare models: Corporatist, Universal and Residual 

 

 

Download Files

sarah-maddison-richard-denniss-an-introduction-to-australian-public-policy-theory-and-practice-2009.pdf (3.41 MB )

welfarestatesandwelfarestatetheory.pdf (0.63 MB )