A political-economic model with which the State sustains the services, complying with the social rights of the largest number of inhabitants possible.
The welfare state is a political-economic model with which the State sustains the services complying with the social rights of the greatest number of inhabitants possible, seeking that the economic distribution is equitable for the entire population and with the objective of achieving the maximum general welfare through actions such as free education, public health, unemployment insurance, etc.
The concept of the welfare state was implemented in the 19th century after many revolutions in which workers demanded a change due to their constantly exploitative working conditions.
The ideas and institutions that we now identify as the welfare state were developed in 1883 on the European continent when Otto Van Bismarck decided to establish the social insurance modality, which covered workers' illnesses, and later became a policy popular that in the following years also contemplated pensions.
The welfare state concept was exposed in 1942 in conjunction with the Beveridge report, which inferred a benefactor state's responsibility for workers. However, it had greater relevance when in 1929 John Keynes exposed the term «Welfare State» with which he intended to oppose the liberal concept of the time.
The main characteristics of the welfare state are the following:
The main types of welfare states are: