Review of The Dynamic Welfare State. David Stoesz. Review by Daniel Liechty (original) (raw)

The Decline of the Americal Welfare State

Social Policy & Administration, 1992

Events of the last quarter-century conspire to force a reappraisal of liberal orthodoxy regarding the American welfare state. The question that emerges is whether liberals should adhere to the format which has guided the elaboration of social programs since the New Dealin other words, topreserve the welfare stateor, in the face of a conservative tide that continues to run high, to strike out for new ideological groundto reconstruct the welfare state. While many progressives defend the American welfare state, cracks in the foundation of welfare state liberalism are evident in an increasing recognition on the part of liberal welfare philosophers of "pluralism" in welfare (Kamerman, I 983; Walzer, 1986; Johnson, 1987; Stoesz, I&), that the American welfare state is "adrift" (Gilbert, 1986), and that "rethinking social welfare" is in order (Morris, 1986).' These are contemporaneous with the attempt by the Right to formulate a conservative, "new paradigm", for domestic policy (Butler, 1987; Butler and Kondratas, 1987; Risen, 1990, DeParle and Applebome, 1991). The interaction of philosophical pluralism and political conservatism bodes ill for welfare state liberalism. An awkward synthesis of private and public initiatives, which are dispersed among federal, state and local organizations, the American welfare state has never equalled its northern European counterparts in adequacy and comprehensiveness. Nonetheless, since the enactment of the Social Security Act of 1935, liberals have struggled to forge a coherent system of welfare programs around the federal government. During the War on Poverty of the mid-r960s, this strategy seemed viable; major programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, were added to the American welfare state. Continued expansion of the governmental welfare state seemed less likely as a consequence of the conservatism of the 1980s, however. By the I ggos, social, political, and economic circumstances in the United States precluded new governmental initiatives, in so doing effectively stalemating the American welfare state. Public defection from the welfare state The decline of the American welfare state can be traced to multiple reinforcing factors. Primary among these are significant changes in the social, political, '3 (1990: 20).

The U.S. Welfare State: Rise, Fall, and Beyond

2016

Stefano Agnoletto, Brian J Griffith, and Cristina Palmieri, eds. "The Origins of the Welfare State: Global and Comparative Approaches" Zapruder World: An International Journal for the History of Social Conflict 3 (2016) ISSN: 2385-1171 View Volume: http://www.zapruderworld.org/volume-3/ "In focusing on the post-WWII Western Welfare in the U.S., it is useful to disaggregate this long-term period into two medium-term periods, or phases. Given the cardinal function of labour as the only value and surplus value producing factor (this is the crucial hypothesis that is supported empirically in Figure 3 below), employment, rather than GDP, has been chosen as the benchmark. The focus is on the productive sectors of the economy because they produce capital’s vital lymph: value and surplus value.1 In measuring, prices are deflated because they show the evolution of the value-generation in real terms. As Figure 1 and Table 1 below show, the first, upward phase in employment goes from 1947 to 1979, the peak year for labour power; then there is a downward phase that goes from 1980 to 2010. In the upward phase, employment grows from 17.56 million laborers in 1947 to 24.97 million in 1979, a rise of 42.3%. Given the strength of labour, the wage share holds its ground and falls only moderately from 42% in 1947 to 40.8% in 1979, after two all-times peaks in 1956 (45.7%) and in 1973 (44.7%), In the following downward phase, from 1979 to 2010, employment falls to 17.7 million in 2010, back approximately to the 1947 level, i.e. by -26.9%. The wage share plummets from 40.8% in 1979 to 24% in 2010, i.e. by -41.2%. This indicates the progressive weakening of the US working class."

Untying the Knots: Democracy Decries 129 Poverty & Social Safety Net 01: Episode 13

These episodes are social dialogues on public policy issues with democracy and democratic system to build in any society as the theme of writing. Highlights of this episode are: 1. There is a difference between phrases 'suitable for the individual' and 'suitable for the society' even though the individuals form the society and the society comprises of the individuals. 2. “The welfare state is a concept of government in which the state or a well-established network of social institutions plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life” (Britannica.com). 3. The concept of 'welfare state program' embraces basic economic security of citizens; Without basic economic security of the citizens, other types of security in the society will also be disrupted, no doubt. 4. A 'welfare state program’ is an inherent responsibility of any type of government, especially of democratic government. 5. Social insurance (or risk management) program exists in almost all industrialized nations. 6. We make out that every 'welfare state program’ applies the concept of 'public-private partnership’ (PPP) as well, where private entities implement, at least, some activities or programs. 7. The concept of 'welfare state program' is varied, complex and difficult to define. 8. Three global events have played major roles which ushered in the expansion of the ‘welfare state program’ as a concept; They are: (1) World War I, (2) The Great Depression, and (3) World War II; The concept was fully developed after World War II. 9. At the national level, the modern 'welfare state program' began in Germany, with Chancellor Otto von Bismarck; The modern program in America started in 1935 when the then President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed the Social Security Act, which was part of his "New Deal" program for the Americans.