The Affect of Wwii on the Welfare State

The effects of the Second World War were felt throughout the world. Citizens suffered a significant decrease in living conditions due to the spread of disease, poverty and wounded economies. It was during this period that the ‘welfare state’ emerged, with states implementing distinct systems of social policy in order to cope with these problems. These welfare systems aimed to secure basic income and living conditions, to promote societal equality and eradicate poverty. However, since being established, these systems have faced and continue to face significant challenges. These challenges tend to compromise the ability of welfare states to function as they were originally intended to. Thus it is not surprising that these welfare states have undergone inevitable reform since the post-War period. This essay will primarily seek to identify and analyse the various challenges which exist. These include political challenges, such as constitutional obstacles, economic challenges, such as costs and demographic change, and the rising threat of globalization. The essay will then look at the systems of the United Kingdom and Sweden. For the purposes of this essay, it is necessary to give only a brief overview of these systems. The main objective is to illustrate the specific challenges these states have faced and how they have been dealt with. The final part of the essay will consider the future of the welfare state. This will address what possible measures can be taken by states to ensure the survival of these systems without changing the fundamental structure or function.
At the outset it is important to define the term ‘welfare state’. Generally this is the term used to describe those countries in which public expenditure has risen to very high levels in order to finance the social programs in place. Welfare states can usually be categorised into one of three types – the ‘liberal model’, the ‘social-democratic model’ or the ‘conservative model’. The liberal model makes a...