Models of the Welfare State and Their Characteristics

The article examines the peculiarities of the welfare state model, which has been constantly changing, transforming, having different options for implementation, going through a crisis and post-crisis development. It is determined that only the state, in the policy of the welfare state, acts as a guarantor of social rights and opportunities for its citizens. The author reveals the types of welfare models and their main characteristics that determine the peculiarities of social policy implemented by countries. It is established that the model of the “welfare state” has experienced an economic, ideological and philosophical crisis, which has led to the need to update and modernize the conceptual foundations of its implementation. The author proves that changes in the country’s social policy allow for a clear distinction between programmatic retrenchment and systematic retrenchment, i.e., reduction of social programs or reduction of social expenditure financing in the welfare state model. The author reveals the typology of models of management of the state social policy, in particular: pluralistic, corporate, Marxist and elite models. It is proved that the main social task of the state’s economic policy is “not to distribute benefits, but to ensure the conditions of freedom and independence of individuals who are able to create these benefits and take care of themselves and their families on their own”. The modern version of the socio-economic model of the “welfare state” is to create conditions that will ensure the synergy of market self-regulation and state intervention, and can be implemented in the areas of economic freedom and personal development. In addition, the areas of development of the welfare state are: risks and innovations, social solidarity, social justice, lifelong support, distribution of difficulties between generations, which is part of the concept of sustainable development. It is established that the transformation of the welfare state model leads to a change in the mechanisms and instruments for its implementation, in particular: universalization of social expenditures; policy coherence between social, economic and environmental aspects of development; search for inclusive forms of its implementation and partnership between the State, civil society and business; identification of new directions in global and regional social policy. It is established that the choice of implementing the “welfare state” model depends on the historical, socio-cultural and economic conditions prevailing in a country and is determined by the type of its socio-political system, ideological and spiritual principles, and the peculiarities of the stage of development. Key words: welfare, state, models of the welfare state, social justice, social security.