the_Welfare_State 英美国家概况 教学课件.ppt

The Welfare State “from the cradle to the grave” A welfare state is… A welfare state is a system of government-run organisations that help everyone to have a good quality of life by providing a safety-net of provisions to ensure people’s welfare (well-being). The British Welfare State developed out of the belief that “every individual has the right to support in times of need and emergency.” Welfare state aims to offer its citizens: A life with certain specified standards of living which it considers reasonable and possible for all, and Protection against the unexpected hazards of life. Resources for welfare Governments raise money to pay for welfare through -General taxation -National Insurance payments -VAT(Value-Added Tax) Road to the Welfare State Collective responsibility Individual responsibility Pre-20th century Antecedent: 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law -Parish 1834 the Poor Law Amendment -Workhouse Late 19th century Conditions in the workhouses improved. -Humanitarian feeling The Impact of World War Two Evacuation The evacuation of 1.5 million people made many others aware of the depth and extent of poverty which existed in Britain. Equality of Sacrifice Both rich and poor suffered during the Blitz and were forced to rely on the government after their homes were reduced to rubble. The Impact of World War Two War Socialism The government had to intervene in many areas of peoples’ lives in order to coordinate the war effort. Many new government departments were set up e.g. the Ministry of Food Changing Attitudes to Social Security The war showed the British people that government intervention was the most effective way of meeting peoples’ needs during the war. The Impact of World War Two The experience of war increased government intervention and changed peoples’ attitudes – the British people were not just concerned with winning the war but they were also concerned about what life in Britain would be like after the war. The Welfare State