The Welfare State at the Present Stage: The Potential of Paternalism and Failures of Governance in Crisis Conditions

Abstract

The paper offers an analysis of the positions available in the literature on the current state of the social state and paternalism as its managerial principle. The transformation of the welfare state is considered through the prism of new forms of paternalism. The analysis provides an assessment of a specific form of paternalism formed in Russia; its relevance in the conditions of the crisis is substantiated. The article also deals with the problem of inefficient public administration and indicates reasons for managerial failures. The conclusion is made about the potential of the paternalistic social state in Russia to relieve social tension and mitigate the negative consequences of the crisis.