18 Financial support 93 How do governments take care of their citizens? The expression <welfare state= refers to the set of interventions implemented by governments to protect their citizens from economic and social risks. This system is based on the idea that every citizen should have the same opportunities and the state must be responsible for those unable to meet their own needs. Origins of the welfare state : Over the centuries, several countries adopted measures to relieve the suffering of people in need. In Britain, an early form of welfare state can be traced back to the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, which introduced workhouses, places where the poor were given food and housing in exchange for work. However, the system only became common in Europe after WWII to tackle what British economist William Beveridge called <the five giant evils=: want , disease, ignorance, squalor, and idleness . The four pillars : A welfare state is built on four main pillars: Compulsory and free education; Free health treatment; Social security; Social services. How it works : A welfare state involves a transfer of funds from the state to the services provided (healthcare, education, etc.) as well as directly to individuals (beneficiaries), therefore it can help citizens: directly, i.e. with money (e.g. subsidies, scholarships, grants, concessions such as minimum wage and child benefits); indirectly, in terms of services (e.g. national health service, rent controls, or employment protection). Tax revenues allow governments to supply their citizens with these services. People with higher incomes usually have to pay more than low-income earners; in this way the income gap between the poor and the rich is reduced. 1 READING WRITING Answer the questions. 1 What does the term <welfare state= refer to and what principles is this system based on? 2 When were workhouses established and what were they? 3 Which sectors does the welfare state include and how do governments fund them? 4 Are all citizens taxed the same amount? 2 SPEAKING PAIR WORK Decide whether the welfare state could represent a drawback (3) or a benefit (+) for the following issues. Then, compare your choices and discuss them. Disabled people 6 Education 1 2 Employment 7 People9s responsibility 3 Medical treatment 8 Financial aid 4 Wealth 9 Motivation to work 5 Taxes 10 State expenditure Sir William Beveridge Talks To Pathe Gazette (1942) posted by British Path 3 WRITING PAIR WORK Watch the video and take notes. Then, in pairs, create a table to summarise it. 4 glossary idleness: inattivit to implement: mettere in atto income: reddito 110 Topic 5 " MONEY & POWER to relieve: alleviare to tackle: contrastare want: mancanza, scarsezza SPEAKING CIVIC EDUCATION William Beveridge once said that <The object of government in peace and war is not the glory of rulers or of races but the happiness of the common man=. What do you think he meant?