Essay - The Welfare State Introduction Over the Past Century, the Welfare...

The Welfare State

Introduction

Over the past century, the welfare state in the United States has developed into a way of life as more and more people have become dependent upon it, both as consumers and producers of its services. As a result, we live in a large, expensive system of bureaucratic service delivery that consumes a good deal of the ********** created by Americans annually.

As the welfare system ***** *****creased in size, it has become increasingly difficult to scale back. In addition, many people ***** a vested interest in maintaining ***** expanding it. However, many argue that the need for a welfare state is decreasing and that the ***** state has outlived its usefulness.

Basically, ***** welfare system does two things. For one, it provides many universal *****, such as education, health care and retirement pensions. Secondly, ***** provides mean-tested payments that support those with little or no income. Unemployment, sickness, domestic purposes ***** other benefits are a*****ther byproduct ***** the welfare state.

***** these things are important to society, ***** ***** ***** ***** the majority of the *****, the welfare state ***** just a system of compulsory saving, saying that it would be cheaper, more efficient and more empowering if ***** government allowed the people to make their own arrangements. If the ***** were given self-empowerment, the ***** ***** caused by ***** welfare state would not exist.

About the Welfare State

In the book "Te*****red C*****izens," Sheldon Richman (2001) describes the history of ***** welfare state, revealing the immorality ***** the coerced redistribution of wealth. This book shows that, in reality, *****re are many negative consequences of the welfare state, making government ***** likely to fail. According to Richman, the welfare state is incompatible with a free society and a constitutional government. ***** advocates replacing welfare ***** the alternative ***** voluntary expectant giving.

The roots of the modern welfare state can be traced to Imperial Germany during the final decades of the 19th *****. During this era, the conservative German politician ***** chancellor, Otto von Bismark, introduced the archetype ***** the ***** state ***** organizing a variety of programs, such as national ***** insurance, social insurance, accident insurance, unemployment insurance, and senior insurance. These programs are now the models for Engl***** and the ***** States.

While Bismark intended to protect and support workers, his main goal was to influence *****ir loyalty and support. At the time, he faced several political challenges and felt ***** ***** welfare state would ***** t***** working class to support him. His plan worked. Due ***** his blueprint for the welfare state, the working class came to view ***** state as a social institution *****ing ***** their welfare. The German welfare state laid the foundation for progressive intellectuals and policy advocates in the United ***** ***** the early 20th century.

***** ***** Richman, ***** idea of an activist government in the United States became more popular following ***** Civil War—a war that promoted the national collectivization of America by transforming a nation *****