The global welfare system

• Author: Dumitrache, V.
• Position: Ph.D student, Lucian Blaga University, Sibiu
• Pages: 173-178

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 6 (55) •No. 2 - 2013

Series V: Economic Sciences

THE GLOBAL WELFARE SYSTEM

Vlad DUMITRACHE

1

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to r eview the welfare system in several

countries worldwide a nd make a comparison between the European welfare

system a nd other similar systems on different continents. Even though the

Europea n welfare system has been stu died a nd a nalysed in the economic

literatur e, there is a lack of a nalysis regar ding the welfare system on

continents like Asia, America or Australia. It is therefore the purpose of this

paper to try and upda te the information availa ble regar ding how the welfare

state ha s developed not just in Europe, but on a globa l scale, deter mined by

key factors like a globalized economy, a well-developed information system

and a workforce free to tr avel.

Key words: welfare state, globa lization, workforce.

1. Introduction

In terms of the welfare state, when it

comes to the European welfare model,

authors like Esping Andersen have defined

three types of models: the Scandinavian

model, the German conservative model and

the Saxon liberal model. Based on these

models, the literature has expanded the

welfare state types in Europe, and models

like the Mediterranean or the east-European

ones have developed over the years.

Little information is yet to be given upon

the welfare model in developed countries

like the United States, Japan, Australia,

Canada or New Zeeland.

Are the European welfare models valid in

these countries? Which of the three welfare

types originally described by Esping

Andersen have developed on other

continents as well? These questions will be

answered after presenting a literature

overview based upon the work of different

authors who have chosen to analyse the

welfare system not just in Europe, but at the

entire global level as well.

1 Ph.D student, Lucian Blaga University, Sibiu.

2. Literature overview

Over the years, several authors have

studied the social welfare state, but the

models that are taken into consideration at

European level are those designated by

Esping Andersen.

The models described by Esping

Andersen are as follows:

 The Scandinavian social model, where

the state has an almost permanent control

regarding social policies. The name

comes from the fact that the social

welfare model has first appeared in

Sweden, and other Scandinavian

countries like Denmark and Norway

have chosen to adopt it. The model has

been a success in The Netherlands as

well.

 The German conservative model is

typical of Germany and central Europe,

and it is a model where both the state and

the NGO offer social services to the

public.