Rise of the Welfare State

The rise of the welfare State can be traced to several causes and conditions of the modern age. First of all, it is a result of the breakdown of the laissez faire system of the Nineteenth Century. Laissei faire required the State to confine its functions and activities to mere protection and defcnce of the State from internal and external disturbances. It was not to interfere in anyway in the economic and social activities of the individuals, in which they were to be left alone to their individual efforts, initiative and intelligence. The State was to be a ‘police State’, to maintain law and order.

But this view of the State action, or rather inaction, resulted in much social and economic distress, especially for the working classes and poorer sections of the society. Secondly, the total nature of the modern wars, especially of the world wars, with their mass-destruction during the war and in its after-effects on the national economy and society, also required a better redistribution of national resources and wealth. The danger of the new world-war, the so-called “third world war,” also compels the modern States to do social justice at home in order to fight the future war, a national war, with the wholehearted support of all classes and sections of the nation. Discontented classes in the nation are a source of weakness and a danger in times of war.

Hence the nation State must become a welfare State for the common good of all classes, and not of the privileged few, if it is to fight wars successfully. “The waging of modern war presupposes,” writes Prof. R. Titmus, “and imposes a great increase in social discipline; moreover, this discipline is only tolerable if-and only if—social inequalities are not intolerable.” Hence Great Britain and other Great Powers adopted a programme of social service both before and after the World War II. The third factor in the rise of the welfare State is the challenge of the new “communist States”, life that of the Society Union, etc.

They can be well described as “total welfare States” for they profess to harness or plan all the national resources of the country not for the profit of the few but for the service or welfare of all. Thus the “communist challenge” becomes at once a political, social, economic, ideological and military challenge to the industrially advanced Western States. It has compelled them to undertake social and economic planning for the general welfare of their unprivileged classes and sections of the society. With the collapse of the communist system, as at present, this challenge, will decrease and even vanish.

Lastly tremendous, epoch-making advances in science, technology and engineering have placed at the disposal of the modern States, especially highly industrialised countries, such huge economic resources in money, energy and power, that it is now possible to produce and distribute unlimited and abundant wealth and material goods among all classes and sections of the society. “As the wealth created by modern industry increases it is contended that there is enough to assure everyone, including the physically and mentally handicapped, of adequate support without unfairly penalizing or impairing the initiative of the talented and enterprising. An income large enough to provide the basic necessities of life in adequate measure is regarded as the right of every member of society. If income of some body falls short, it should be supplemented not as an act of charity, but as an act of social justice.”

What private enterprise could produce fitfully and meagrely can now be produced by planned and socialised or nationalised industry, science and technology in abundance. Hence it is the duty of the welfare State not only to harness modern resources of science, industry and technology by proper use of manpower but also to distribute it equitably and justly for the welfare of all people, without any regard for the privileged classes, as it was in the past.

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