Did post-1945 bringing about social equality and justice?

Authors Avatar

Question 3: Did ‘post-1945 welfare capitalism... bring about equality and social justice’?

Welfare capitalism was the start to a very wide improvement of many welfare services like education, housing, health and employment. Each of these aspects contributed to the fair treatment of the nation’s citizens, specifically those who had previously been underprivileged. This meant that the disabled, the sick and the unemployed were granted special benefits in order to bridge the gap between inequality in wealth and social status. As a result, welfare capitalism brought about equality and social just after World War Two.

Welfare capitalism was not a new concept, but it particularly began flourishing in the 1930s. This was when the Wall Street Crash had lead to a worldwide depression and many countries were failing to climb out their damaged economies. In America, many traditionalists were adamant in allowing the economy to self-correct. Yet, as the depression worsened, John Keynes, a British economist, suggested that the states should intervene in its economies and markets.

The main cause of the depression was over-production and under-consumption, but state intervention would increase consumption for its market, reducing the excessive production. This would be done be creating full employment through social security or welfare systems and by taxation.

This meant that governments in welfare states would spend the majority of their budgets on public works such as education, health, housing, employment and benefits to the underprivileged (i.e. pensioners, the disabled, the sick and children). Government planning would also be essential for it provided control over variables in the macro economy. For employers, welfare meant less effort in planning and employees were presented with benefits such as pension schemes. So since the bulk of the population was employed, most citizens benefitted from the welfare systems. Governments were also rewarded with stronger political positions with the thriving capitalism, in contrast to socialism that seemed to be at a standpoint by the 1980s.

Join now!

Governments in Britain, France, Sweden, Netherlands, America, Italy, Australia, Sweden, Belgium, West Germany and Scandinavia already incorporated welfare systems before the Great Depression. Each country had employed different welfare policies. They could change their taxation and expenses on welfare accordingly as well as alter interest rates to ensure consumption and demand. Full employment, which was never higher than six percent, retained investments, spread education and lessened taxes on imports. Global trading and investments expanded, specifically between other advanced capitalist nations.

From 1945, the core welfare capitalist states of France, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland and Britain modified their welfare systems. Their ...

This is a preview of the whole essay