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Welfare State Essay

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has a clear foundation in social equality and political consciousness. Before delving into specific case studies, the term “welfare state” must be defined in order to provide a baseline understanding of the institution being discussed. In the context of this paper, welfare state can be defined as “a concept of government in which the state plays a key role in protecting and promoting the economic and social well being of its citizens.” Under the welfare state model, equal opportunity, equal distribution of wealth and mutual responsibility are firmly sought after goals that are reinforced by social insurance programs and universal provision of education, healthcare and housing. The degree to which such benefits are provided varies between …show more content…

Beginning in the 1800’s, trade unions “began forming around specific occupations” with the sole purpose of garnering rights for workers including: “universal voting rights, pension benefits and the prohibition of child labor” (Swedish Institute 2010). As labor unions continued to evolve, a greater proportion of workers found the benefits of organization and communal bargaining to be exceedingly beneficial to their individual welfare. Unions not only promoted the improvement of individual workers rights, but demonstrated the importance of social cohesion and mutual responsibility in bringing about change on a larger scale. Trade unions proved to be the vehicle through which workers could maintain a basic standard of living and belong to a community with the backing to affect change. The historical significance of labor unions in Sweden is unsurpassed by most other nations and their continued prominence contributes to the persistence of welfare state goals in Sweden. No less significant is the present condition of trade unions as “Sweden boasts the highest proportion of workers who belong to unions” (Draper and Ramsay 2008, 150) with around 70% belonging to a union of some sort. Trade unions laid the foundation for the modern welfare state by organizing workers and

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