Welfare State – Justification of Welfare State

Classical Liberalism contributed significantly to the evolution of the concept of the welfare state. Welfare stands for the score of the social and economic policies aimed at the people’s general welfare. It is the basis of the positive liberalism. It is a state that provides social services to all citizens, safeguards the interests of the weaker sections of society, and gives them economic and social security. Through the various policy measures, it seeks to remove inequality and other societal imbalances.

The role of the state changed significantly as several changes occurred in the 20^th century due to the breathtaking pace of development in science and technology. The rise of the nation-state and mass participation of the people has further vetted their expectations. Thus, the welfare state is justified on the following grounds:

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Welfare State – A Positive and Democratic State

State and Market

A free-market economy results in the concentration of wealth and inequality, which undermines individual freedom and liberty, and hence the role of the state becomes significant to regulate the market for the maximum welfare of the people. The welfare state is a form of compensation, which seeks to compensate the masses from the common resources. The state seeks to improve the conditions of the people by providing health and education.

Individualist

The welfare state gives importance to the individuals and does not allow the market forces to undermine their individuality. As Albert Weale has rightly said, ‘certain material conditions must necessarily hold for an individual to carry out a wide range of projects’. The individual must have many economic and social choices so that his personality may find a logical culmination. This depends on the availability of some sort of moral autonomy. Intellectuals like T.H. Green, Richie, Hobhouse, and Laski also maintained that the welfare state also enhances individual liberty.

Rights

The welfare state is also justified on the grounds of rights as it has some features of entitlement and justice. Rights are essential for the development of the personality of an individual and the welfare state provides those conditions through various social and economic measures. Thus, rights are the claims without which individuals cannot realize the purpose of their existence.

Equality

Equality is another justification for the welfare state as the interventionist ideology to attain the maximum welfare of the people, is based on the foundations of equality. The welfare state synthesizes the views on equality of both Kant and the Socialists and hence, provides equality to all people. Equality in itself contains the potential of the welfarism. 

Citizenship

Citizenship is one of the foundations of the welfare state. If it strengthens this foundation, it benefits itself as well as enriches citizenship. Marshall views citizenship as the great equalizer, which promotes equality and harmony in society. Marshall sees the concept and the reality of citizenship as one of the great driving forces of the modern age. According to Marshall, citizenship does not imply only the membership of the state, but the full membership of a community. It is the citizenship, which ensures him to determine the conditions of their social and economic well-being.

Justice

Justice is another ground on which the concept of the welfare state is justified. As Rawls has maintained justice is the first virtue of a society and it should always take priority over other good. Rawls aptly commented: ‘If law and government act effectively to keep the market competitive, resources fully employed, property and wealth widely distributed over time and to maintain the appropriate social minimum, then if there is equality of opportunity underwritten by education to all, the resulting distribution will be just’.

Thus, the concept of the welfare state is justified on different grounds that are actual needs of the welfarism of people.