The Main Periods of Development of the Modern Welfare State: From Its Inception to the Crisis

The main periods of formation and development of the welfare state are analyzed. As the first stage, the foundation of the “minimum welfare” states is determined during the development of capitalism and the formation of parliamentary democracy. The second stage – the birth of the modern welfare state: 1880–1914 – is associated with the introduction of social insurance mechanisms in most states as the main institutional instrument of the welfare state. It is noted that the “Golden Age” of welfare states is constituted by the growth of social spending in all developed countries of the world.