Welfare State

There is unquestionably an important element of semantic fluctuation regarding the expression social security. In the United States, it is commonly used with a more restricted ambit, designating specific social insurance programs meant for retired and disabled persons. Elsewhere though, the term is usually employed in a larger sense, referring to the economic security that a society offers when people are faced with several different risks. It generically describes a set of measures, recognized as necessary and thus enforced by the public powers, deemed to compensate citizens for various naturally and socially induced hazards and promote social insurance programs, in order to protect individuals from a lack of resources and uphold rights deemed essential for human dignity. It may also designate public actions meant to ...