Paternalistic model of social policy. What is the paternalistic model? Features of social policy modeling

IN THE USSR AND RUSSIA

7.1. Social policy in the directive economy of the USSR.

7.2. Typology of social policy models and Soviet reality.

7.3. Liberal reforms of the 1990s and features of the formation of social policy.

7.4. The situation in the social sphere in the second half of the 1990s.

7.5. Prospects for the development of social policy in Russia at the beginning of the 21st century.

1. Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, and then adopted federal laws And laid the foundation for the creation of a regulatory framework facilitating the development of social work. This area is being formed in the context of the main directions of state social policy to improve the situation of various layers and categories of the population of the Russian Federation.

In Art. 7 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation lays the foundations of the legal framework of the welfare state and the development of the system of social services. In the future, state legal support is developed in federal laws and regulations.

Law in the form of various legislative documents has general social significance for the development of social work and plays a serious role in the functioning of social services.

Firstly, in ensuring social guarantees, developing social services from minimal necessity to optimal sufficiency. Secondly, in the reproduction of various social services necessary to constantly meet the needs of social service clients (current and potential). Thirdly, in the regulation of social service technologies, types and forms of provision of social services. Fourthly, in defining the fundamental principles for organizing feedback and information exchange within the social service system.

The concept of “legal support for social work and social services” is directly related to the concept of “mechanism of legal regulation of social services.” The latter covers all legal means involved in legal regulation, and those relations in which the formation and development of social services is carried out. This mechanism consists of the main components of legal norms, legal relations and legal acts, objects and subjects of legal support. The main features of legal support can be grouped into several blocks:

A set of federal laws relating to social services for the population as a whole;

Legal acts of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, expressing the norms of legal support for social services;

By-laws establishing the procedure for managing systems and subsystems of social services;

Regulatory regulation of the activities of individual institutions and categories of social service specialists;

Legal acts ensuring the protection of the rights of clients of social services;

A certain level of legal awareness of the population and social service workers.

Thus, the content of the legal support for the organization and activities of social services is that, firstly, the social service system can function successfully if there is an established set of legal means that are applied realistically and systematically. Secondly, this system can develop provided that legal norms ensure the management of this system and its subsystems, facilitate the coordination of the activities of various departmental services, and contribute to the orderliness of their interaction.

Currently, it is important for government authorities in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to take into account that legal support should represent, on the one hand, a set of means of legal influence on public relations in the region, and on the other, an orderly set of legal norms at the level of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation regulating a system for managing social services and ensuring the orderliness of the activities of social services, and ultimately guaranteeing the right of every person to receive social services. Social service activities for the population involve the exchange of information, specialists, and technologies, all of which contributes to the sustainability and adaptability of the system. Its management takes on a qualitatively new character: maintaining an optimal balance between stability and variability, guaranteeing minimum standards in the provision of social services, etc.

With all the diversity of approaches to the management of social services, they should be based on regulations that ensure the legality of decision-making, the consistency of all parts of the system, its orderliness and organization. Violation of legal norms leads to mismatch of the organizational mechanism and an increase in resource costs necessary to obtain the planned results.

The legal regulation of the system is implemented through the design of social services, formalization, standardization, licensing, regulation and information.

In domestic practice, the existing norms have been streamlined several times. In 1994, a collection of regulations was prepared . In 1997 they released “Collection of regulations on issues of social services for elderly citizens and disabled people in non-stationary conditions” And “Legal support for the organization and functioning of the social service system for families and children”. They contain documents related to the field of social services and reflecting three levels of the legal system: international, federal and the level of constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

The first group includes “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, “Convention on the Rights of the Child”, “World Declaration on the Survival and Protection of Children” and others. To the second - the Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian Federation, Civil and Family Codes, federal laws “On the basics of social services for the population in the Russian Federation”(December 15, 1995) “On social services for elderly and disabled citizens”(May 17, 1995), etc. The third includes normative legal acts that have been developed and adopted in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

As for the legislative documents adopted in the Russian Federation and aimed directly at regulating processes in the field of social work and in the field of social services, we should talk about two types: laws, having the highest legal force (the Constitution of Russia, federal laws); regulations (decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, decrees and orders of the Government of the Russian Federation, orders and instructions of ministries and departments).

In addition to laws, there are also by-laws emanating from the Government of the Russian Federation, aimed at implementing federal laws in the field of social services for the population.

In accordance with the order of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 19, 1995, in order to implement the Federal Law “On the Fundamentals of Social Services for the Population in the Russian Federation,” the following standards were developed and adopted:

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 15, 1996 No. 454 “On the Interdepartmental Commission on Social Services for the Population”;

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 24, 1996 No. 739 “On the provision of free social services and paid social services by state social services”;

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 17, 1996 No. 830 “On approval of the Regulations on licensing activities in the field of social services for the population.”

In accordance with the Federal Law “On Social Services for Elderly Citizens and Disabled Persons”, the following has been adopted:

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 25, 1995 No. 1151 “On the federal list of state-guaranteed social services provided to elderly citizens and disabled people by state and municipal social service institutions”;

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 15, 1996 No. 473 “On the procedure and terms of payment for social services provided to elderly citizens and disabled people by state and municipal social service institutions.”

It is of fundamental importance “Federal list of state-guaranteed social services provided to elderly citizens and disabled people by state and municipal social service institutions”, which is approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. The norms contained in it are relevant not only to individual elderly citizens and people with disabilities. They also regulate social services for various categories of families and children; in essence, they are norms aimed at the legal protection of the family as an independent object of legal protection.

The content of federal laws and regulations shows the gradual development of the legal regulatory framework for social services and the widespread introduction of various types of social work. Firstly, this process is associated with the adoption of a system of legal norms that determine the organizational structure of territorial social services, the procedure for financing, as well as the types and forms of social services. Secondly, regulation is based on a set of departmental regulations that gave birth to individual social service institutions. Thirdly, it is determined by a system of regulations regulating the activities of individual specialists, the rights and responsibilities of social service workers. Each of the listed components performs its own specific functions and is relatively independent.

A draft federal law has currently been developed “On social services for families and children”. It provides: legal guarantees in the field of social services for families and children; recognition of families and children as objects of professional social services; creation of legal prerequisites for the establishment of a system of social service institutions for families and children; determination of the principles, basic content and organizational forms of activities for social services for families and children; establishing the rights of adult citizens and children in the field of social services; determination of the legal status of employees of social service institutions for families and children; establishing legal norms for state and public control over the quality of services provided to families and children. The adoption and implementation of this document will become the most important factor in the further development of the infrastructure of social services to help families and children.

In Federal Law “On social services for elderly and disabled citizens”(Article 36 Rights of social workers) a list of rights of social workers employed in the state and municipal sectors of social services is fixed. At the same time, paragraph 3 of Art. 36 of the Law provides for the establishment of additional benefits by constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Some constituent entities of the Russian Federation, relying on these federal laws, have adopted their own laws that establish additional guarantees and benefits for social service workers.

Social norms and standards are of a socio-economic nature; they play an important role in establishing optimal labor costs for specialists. Today, social service institutions regulate the time spent on providing various types of social services, and optimal time standards in certain working conditions are determined and enshrined in legal acts.

In the collection of regulations of the Ministry of Social Protection of Russia "Organization of social services for the population"(1993–1994) published approximate provisions of social service institutions with corresponding annexes - approximate staffing schedules. They are the initial regulatory framework, which can be refined and expanded locally, taking into account the specifics of the subjects of the Federation and the characteristics of social services.

the federal law “On the basics of social services for the population in the Russian Federation” allows the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to independently develop and adopt the necessary laws and regulations regulating social services for various categories of the population.

Ways to achieve a new quality of social work and social service system require the full implementation of adopted federal laws and regulations relating to the improvement of social services and social security for various categories of the population, and the creation of a reliable legal mechanism. It is necessary to focus on the full implementation of the following federal laws, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation and resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation:

Federal laws:

“On social protection of disabled people in the Russian Federation” (1995);

“On state benefits for citizens with children” (1995);

“Fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation on the protection of the health of citizens” (1993);

“On the fundamentals of social services for the population in the Russian Federation” (1995) (ed. August 22, 2004);

“On social services for elderly and disabled citizens” (1995) (ed. August 22, 2004).

Decrees of the President of the Russian Federation:

On priority measures to implement the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 90s (1992);

“Main directions of state social policy to improve the situation of children in the Russian Federation until 2000” (National Plan of Action for Children) (1995);

On social protection of disabled people in the Russian Federation (1995);

On measures for social support of large families (1992);

Decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation:

On the action plan to improve the situation of children in the Russian Federation for 1995–1997 (1996);

On the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children (1993);

About the federal program “Children of Russia” (1993);

On the procedure for the development and structure of the National Action Plan in the interests of children of the Russian Federation (1994).

Thus, the presence of a legal framework will allow social work structures to more successfully perform their functions in order to achieve their main tasks of social support for various layers and categories of the population who find themselves in difficult life situations.

2. The implementation of social policy involves the legislative establishment and financial support of the fulfillment of the state’s social obligations, which can be defined as a constitutionally or legislatively fixed set of social (public) benefits that the state undertakes to make available to its citizens, guaranteeing for a certain range of these benefits free of charge for the entire population or certain groups. These benefits are provided at the expense of public, most often budgetary, resources. The state places a certain responsibility for the fulfillment of social obligations on employers and citizens. The total number of types of social obligations in Russia exceeds a thousand items.

The implementation of social obligations involves their establishment, organization and direct execution. The establishment of social obligations is carried out by the legislative bodies of the Federation and its constituent entities; the main preparatory part of the work on justification and preparation of draft laws is carried out by executive authorities.

The organization of fulfillment of the state’s social obligations is carried out both by ministries, departments and organizations of the “social block” that are part of the system of executive power of the “center”, regions and municipalities, as well as by general functional ministries (Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation).

Direct execution is carried out by specific organizations, institutions and services in which people are educated, trained and employed, treated, given pensions and benefits, provided with housing subsidies and free housing, etc. Consequently, everything that federal ministries, departments and services, regional administrations, federal and regional administrations, federal, regional and municipal organizations, institutions and social enterprises (schools, hospitals, employment services, pensions and other services) do in the social sphere – this is work to fulfill the social obligations of the state.

The implementation of the state's social obligations occurs within the boundaries of a certain territory. If government bodies ensure a uniform level of legally established social obligations of the state in relation to any citizen of the country, regardless of his place of residence, belonging to certain educational, professional, national, etc. groups, we can talk about a single social space. Currently in Russia there are differences between the normative and real social space, since there is no balance between the social obligations of the state and its ability to mobilize social resources. “Social space” is a multi-layered and by no means homogeneous area of ​​action or implementation (fulfillment) of specific social obligations of the state. The social role of the state, its social policy is implemented in the formation of a real unified social space to provide basic social obligations throughout the country.

Since there are disproportions between the volumes of functions performed for the social obligations of the state and the volumes of public resources allocated for these purposes, underfunding of the social sphere often occurs during the transition period.

Social sector financing methods should help improve economic efficiency. The economic efficiency of social policy should be considered in at least three aspects.

Macroeconomic efficiency means that society spends enough money on human resource development, but not so much that it crowds out other important economic activities. It is important to find a balance between human resource development and other areas of investment.

Microeconomic efficiency is associated with the distribution of the entire volume of available funds between various programs: cash benefits, medical care, education, training and retraining, employment services, etc.

The third aspect of effectiveness is the impact of social programs on the incentive system, i.e. the system of social payments and benefits should be financed in such a way as to minimize the negative impact on labor activity.

Financial support for the state's social obligations is carried out by the finances of the state, enterprises (firms) and the population (households). The roles, financial obligations and responsibilities of all participants in the financing of social policy differ significantly depending on the adopted business model, the achieved level of income of the population, and the accepted standards for the consumption of social goods and services in each country. In the economy of the Soviet Union, financial obligations in the social sphere were divided primarily between the state and enterprises. For the bulk of the population with low stable incomes, social services were free, but there was a shortage of the highest quality services. The stability of the income of the bulk of the population was determined by the absence of unemployment and old-age pensions.

In the transition economy, the state's financial obligations to ensure social policy began to be distributed to a greater extent between the state and households, and the role of enterprises was reduced. Social infrastructure and social funds of enterprises in market conditions reduce the competitiveness of enterprise products due to rising costs, which has led to the massive transfer of social infrastructure and departmental housing to local budgets. The burden of social spending has shifted to the state. At the same time, the gross national product is almost halved and the share of the consolidated budget is reduced to 25–28% of GDP. The inability to ensure the pre-reform level of consumption of social services at the expense of the consolidated budget made it necessary to increase the share of the population in paying for basic social services. The financial burden on the population's income has increased, while income differentiation has not been taken into account. The volume of government funding for social programs is determined by the state's objectives in the social sphere. The challenge for social policy in all countries with economies in transition is to properly balance stimulating economic growth and ensuring social protection. To ensure the financial sustainability of the social protection system, it is necessary to strengthen the tax collection apparatus, build up institutional and administrative capacities, and at the same time involve non-governmental organizations in the work.

Institutional and economic transformations carried out in post-socialist countries over the past decade have led to deepening differentiation between them. Countries with economies in transition can be roughly classified into one of two groups - European (which includes all countries that should be admitted to the European Union, the Baltic countries and the former Yugoslav republics) and Eurasian (former Soviet republics and Albania).

In Eurasian countries there has been a sharper decline in real wages, the formal labor market has practically disappeared, and unemployment is rising. The share of pension costs and payments from other social insurance programs is high, but insurance payments do not allow for an acceptable level of income. Social assistance is characterized by duplicative benefits, inaccurate targeting and is mainly represented by subsidies for housing and utilities. The high rate of taxes and social charges contributed to an increase in the share of the informal sector of the economy and, as a result, a reduction in social contributions.

A social protection system adequate to a market economy can only be created as a result of a significant increase in the level of income of the population and an improvement in the situation in the labor market. Labor market institutions, including labor laws, trade unions, minimum wages, and employment insurance programs, can have a major impact on labor market conditions. The modern labor market in Russia is characterized by low wages, wage arrears, a developed structure of self-employment, and the presence of an informal market. Under these conditions, certain types of active employment promotion programs turned out to be ineffective. Of all the employment service programs, job search assistance appears to be the most cost-effective.

The entry into the third millennium can be considered as a new stage in Russia’s economic development, joining countries defined as “emerging markets”. The World Bank considers annual GDP per capita to be less than $9.6 thousand as one of the criteria for classifying countries into this group. The new stage of development requires the continuation of deep reforms concerning the relationship between the market, society and the state.

The formation of social policy in Russia coincided with radical transformations of the main values ​​of the social state. If in the second half of the twentieth century. the basis for the social policy of industrialized countries were such values ​​as collectivism, solidarity, social justice, success in implementation, which were embodied in “Swedish socialism”, then modern modernists put responsibility and, above all, personal responsibility in the first place. The ideas of “individual achievement” and “competition” were put forward. It is considered unacceptable for an individual to transfer his responsibility to his family, local community and country to the state.

Great attention is paid to the problem of human freedoms, without which there are no personal achievements. Ideologists of post-industrial society put the problem of transforming the role of the state in the first place. The state should not provide citizens with a guaranteed minimum of services, but create all the conditions for their activity, for the success of their personal efforts, i.e. all social institutions are oriented not towards victims, but towards people who themselves are trying to resist the difficulties of life in a changing society. Although the victims are not forgotten, the main task of the state is helping people to carry out independent activities. To this end, the state supports entrepreneurship. With a change in the view of the state, the approach to the idea of ​​equality also changes. Equality is interpreted not as equality of results, but as equality of opportunity, and most importantly, equality of access to these opportunities. Therefore, in the labor market the emphasis is not on guaranteeing work, but on guaranteeing education and the opportunity to acquire new professions. The social base of post-industrial society is the middle class - wealthy workers (“blue collars”), intelligentsia (“white collars”), lower layers of the bureaucracy (state, municipal, corporate), small and medium-sized businesses. Social policy, defined in the “Main directions of socio-economic policy of the Government of the Russian Federation for the long term,” is aimed at this group of the population.

The centralized form of social security is social security at the expense of budgetary funds. This means the allocation of allocations for social security needs from funds not only from the federal budget, but also from the budgets of the constituent entities of the Federation and local budgets. The centralized nature of this organizational and legal method of implementing social security is expressed in the fact that the range of provided and types of social security are established by federal laws, and therefore are binding throughout the territory of Russia, i.e., guaranteed by the state itself.

At the federal level, the source of financing expenses is also determined: either funds from the federal budget, or funds from the budget of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, or funds from local budgets.

The specificity of the circle of persons provided for at the expense of budgetary funds is that it covers, firstly, persons receiving support in connection with certain socially useful activities (during which they are not subject to compulsory social insurance) upon the occurrence of circumstances recognized socially respectful; secondly, the entire population of the country, provided with certain types of social security without any connection with human labor.

The first category includes, for example, military personnel, employees of internal affairs bodies, the federal security service, mountain rescue units, tax police, etc. At the expense of the federal budget, they are paid pensions, benefits, and are provided with other types of social security specifically in connection with this type of service .

The second category, as already mentioned, includes the entire population of the country, including citizens from among the insured, as well as those serving, since certain types of social security are guaranteed to the citizen as a member of society without any connection with his work. These types of support include: social benefits in connection with the birth of a child; monthly benefits for a child until he reaches 16 (students are 18) years old; social benefit for funeral; unemployment benefits for citizens looking for work for the first time or after a long break; state social assistance; various types of compensation payments provided for by law (for example, able-bodied, non-working citizens caring for a group I disabled person, a disabled child; students for food; foster families for child support, etc.); social assistance at home for single elderly citizens and disabled people of groups I and II who need outside care; semi-inpatient and full-inpatient care in social service institutions; vocational training and employment of people with disabilities, providing them with mobility aids and vehicles; prosthetic and orthopedic care; medicinal assistance; sanatorium-resort treatment of elderly citizens and disabled people; keeping children in child care institutions; various kinds of benefits. These types of social security are provided to any citizen upon the occurrence of circumstances specified in the legislation, and regardless of the fact that he receives certain types of insurance coverage or other types of social security from budgetary funds.

3. The end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century is characterized by the ever-increasing role of information in social development. Possession of timely, accurate, reliable data on the subject of activity is increasingly the key to success in a wide variety of endeavors. Moreover, the timeliness of access and receipt of information becomes an extremely important factor in the effectiveness of making decisive management decisions.

Today, the process of informatization has, to a certain extent, affected many sectors of the economy, defense and security systems, banking, business and public administration. Information support for the social sphere and state social policy is of particular importance, since social policy remains an important factor that can prevent and mitigate the negative social consequences of ongoing economic reforms and socio-political transformations.

The adoption of adequate decisions and practical measures on the part of legislative and executive authorities to ensure the constitutional rights and guarantees of citizens in the main spheres of life requires new approaches to solving the problems of scientific and information support for the process of managing the sphere of social protection of the population.

Today it becomes necessary to create a developed information and communication infrastructure in the social sphere. The presence of information and analytical centers within various structures and divisions of the social sphere is the first step, the next is the creation of an interdepartmental information system network. The main goal is the integration of information resources through the creation of repositories, data banks of documented information and, on their basis, obtaining analytical and summary data on the progress of the implementation of social programs, including urban ones.

The relevance of the issue of creating an interdepartmental information network is due to a number of factors, among which informatization, the increasing role of information support in making management decisions, as well as the multifactorial nature and diversity of social problems that require solutions should be particularly highlighted. The interdepartmental information network will allow:

q combine and synchronize technological processes for monitoring the execution of documents, obtaining reports on the results obtained with their simultaneous documentation in data banks and storage facilities;

q use modern technologies to quickly obtain information from corporate documented repositories and process it analytically to provide it to decision makers.

The system of coordinated information interaction will make it possible to combine existing databases and data banks in health care, education, employment, social protection and other structural units of the social sphere. Industry information systems for managing the processes of social protection, education, and employment are in their infancy. Prospects for the development of the social sphere are associated with its informatization and technologization, with the use of information technologies in solving problems of social protection of various segments of the population.

The complexity and variety of problems caused by the characteristics of the life of low-income, socially vulnerable groups, the specifics of their adaptation in various societies predetermine the need for relevant information. Solving problems regulating the life activity of such a category as persons with disabilities is difficult due to:

q low availability of systems, tools, information resources to a wide range of interested parties with appropriate provision of personal information security requirements;

q lack of proper technical equipment to ensure system integrity;

q lack of a mechanism for coordinating state and public structures in the development and adoption of decisions at various levels, including legislative ones.

It should be noted that the processes associated with the life of disabled people are multifactorial: medical, economic, psychological, educational, material and technical, etc.

The complexity and diversity of the problems of disabled people, the specifics of their adaptation in society dictate the need to provide comprehensive information to government agencies and departments that are in charge of solving their problems. These include health authorities, education, social protection, employment services, etc.

Analysis of the available data indicates that each of these institutions follows its own path in collecting, processing, storing and using information. Hence its one-sided dependence on the professional orientation of the department. Each organization solves the problems of information support for its industry independently, without interaction with others, which excludes the possibility of identifying the factor of mutual influence and reflecting the dynamics of problematic changes depending on time. Consequently, the information cannot be complete and objective, which makes it difficult to analyze and make management decisions.

Multifactorial nature and the need to take these circumstances into account require an appropriate level of information structuring, the creation of an interdepartmental information network that reflects the state of the social sphere and its information field.

Not only information is needed, but also its appropriate analytical processing. Of particular relevance are:

q analysis of the essence of problems, factors, cause-and-effect relationships, particular issues;

q determination of the conditions necessary to achieve the desired results;

q forecasting the possible consequences of implementing a particular management decision.

Today, debate continues between politicians, sociologists, economists and lawyers about which model of state can bring more benefits to social development. Some of them are supporters of liberalism, others are trying to prove that only a paternalistic model of relationships in the state and between individuals can underlie progress. What the second model is will be discussed in detail in the review.

Definition of paternalism

The concept of “paternalism” comes from the Latin “pater”, which translates as “father”. Paternalism means a type of relationship that involves the patronage and guardianship of the elder over the younger. The paternalistic model characterizes:

1. Type of international relations.
2. The form of government and its ideology.
3. Vector of economic development of society.
4. Direction of social policy.
5. Model of communication: between citizens, in the field of medicine, law, and in other areas of professional activity.

Let us consider the application of the paternalistic model of relationships in each of these areas.

Paternalism in international relations

In international relations, paternalism manifests itself in the fact that large countries provide protection to weaker ones. Often this approach characterizes contacts between metropolises and colonies. This was especially evident in British policy, for example, in relation to Australia. Missionaries were sent there by the English government to bring the Christian faith to the savages in order to save their souls. Various technical innovations were also introduced, without which, according to the British, the aborigines could not survive.

At first glance, such a paternalistic model had a positive beginning. However, as a result of violence against the original culture and way of life established for centuries, the local population actually died out. And also the reason was that, along with care, there was a monstrous exploitation of both the Australians themselves and the natural resources of the distant continent.

State paternalism

At the state level, paternalism means that society is built on the principle of a single cohesive family. It is headed by a wise, caring father, who is the state and its bodies. The people are regarded as children and other family members who fully trust and submit to the paternal authority. At the same time, “children” are protected from social and economic disasters, but at the same time they are completely deprived of independence.

The state of the paternalistic model is a distributor of goods in accordance with the existing hierarchy in society. And also a generator of ideas that the people should share in full. Although public organizations exist, they only play the role of an instrument that strengthens power. Such a system was characteristic of the USSR, other socialist countries, as well as states with a patriarchal tradition, such as Japan and Spain.

Economic paternalism

Under socialism, the paternalistic model in the field of economic policy means the leading role of the state in literally all economic areas. It is reflected in a number of principles, such as:

1. The responsibility of the state to citizens, which obliges it to take into its own hands any administrative levers to achieve its goals. Other entities - enterprises and public associations - act only on behalf of the state or are closely controlled by it.
2. Priority of state goals over the goals of individual economic units.
3. The primacy of administrative methods of management over economic ones.
4. Responsibility for the use of state aid in accordance with its intended purpose.
5. Free support for citizens and enterprises.
6. Equality regarding the consumption of social goods and their general availability. Each citizen is provided with a minimum level of income and the volume of social services.
7. Dynamic development of the social sphere as the most important condition for sustainable development.
8. The primacy of decisions of the central government relative to the local one.
9. The presence of a large public sector, protectionism in relation to industry, agriculture and the banking sector.
10. A large volume of social obligations inherent in budgets of all levels.

Paternalistic model of the welfare state

This model assumes the comprehensive responsibility of the state for the socio-economic situation of its citizens, caring both directly for each of them and for economic entities.

It is inherent in socialist countries where state and economic paternalism is established, as described above. This is possible thanks to the state monopoly on all benefits, including social ones, as well as the principle of their centralized distribution. The social sphere is under special attention and control of the state.

The social sphere is understood as a complex of industries that determine the standard of living of people regarding their pensions, education, health care, culture, catering, utilities, public transport, and some types of communications.

Objectives, advantages and disadvantages of this social model

The main objectives inherent in the paternalistic model of social policy are:

1. Ensuring people's well-being.
2. Raising the material standard of living of citizens.
3. Creating the necessary conditions to ensure equal social opportunities for various segments of the population (the principle of social justice).
4. Construction of a social protection mechanism in the form of pension payments, scholarships and benefits.
5. Comprehensive development of the social sphere.

This system has both advantages and disadvantages.

• The advantages of the model include: social security and stability of people’s economic life.
• Its disadvantages are: a person’s great dependence on the state, the distribution of benefits on an equal basis, the impossibility of economic prosperity, and the lack of entrepreneurial initiative.

Instruments of social policy under capitalism

It should be noted that elements of social paternalism are inherent not only in socialist states. They are also used under the capitalist system, although they are selective.

Various kinds of social standards act here as an administrative tool of the paternalistic model of social development. These include the following:

1. Determination of wages at the minimum level.
2. Guaranteed living wage.
3. Calculation of the consumer basket for certain categories of citizens.
4. Assignment of the minimum amount of pension payments and scholarships.
5. Availability of a compulsory health insurance system.

In addition to the already mentioned administrative levers, in states with liberal economies such economic measures are used as:

1. Reducing tax rates in industries serving social facilities.
2. Subsidies given by the state to reduce tax rates.
3. Adoption of residential mortgage lending programs.
4. Implementation of co-financing mechanisms.

Paternalistic model of communication

This model is inherent in relations in the field of medical care for the population. This is a classic model of the relationship between doctors and their patients. It is characterized by the patient’s complete trust in the representatives of the “medical department”. In such a relationship, the doctor plays the role of a father who has high authority as a bearer of special knowledge and cares for the patient as if he were his own child. He takes full responsibility for the health and life of the ward.

In this case, the patient acts as a completely passive party. He is not involved in making decisions regarding the treatment process. The main disadvantage of this approach is that it deprives the patient of the opportunity to control his own destiny. He is not able to determine which treatment method is most optimal for him.

This principle goes back a long way, drawing on the provisions of the Hippocratic Oath, according to which the physician undertakes to act in accordance with his skills and abilities. In our country, the traditions of the paternalistic model of the relationship between doctor and patient are continued in the Oath of the Doctor of the Russian Federation.

Innovations in the doctor-patient relationship

Today, there is a growing trend around the world to abandon this model. A new type of interaction between doctors and patients is gradually being introduced. In the United States, a bill was passed in 1972 regulating the rights of patients to comprehensive information about their health status and treatment methods. Thus, a transition is made to the principle of cooperation, which is called “Informed voluntary consent”. Its main content is as follows:

1. Informed consent is a fundamental right of the patient and a protective mechanism for both himself and the doctor. Its necessary condition is the procedure for informing the patient (his representative) of the treatment regimen and obtaining from him approval for specific types of examinations and treatment procedures.
2. For this purpose, preliminary explanatory work is carried out with the patient. The doctor provides detailed information about the proposed medical intervention, possible complications, and various treatment methods in an accessible form. And also about the terms of service.
3. Consent is taken in accordance with current medical and research ethics guidelines.
4. The fact of voluntariness is characterized by the absence of pressure on the patient in the form of a medical worker imposing his opinion, misinformation, or threats.

A striking example of a paternalistic model of the state is the Soviet Union. To this day, not only in our country, but throughout the world, debates continue about what was more in the realities of that era - comprehensive social justice and economic stability or suppression of initiative, violation of individual rights and the use of forced labor. It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally.

On the one hand, many of those people who lived in Soviet socialist society recall that they felt a sense of unity with the people, respect for leaders, and pride in great achievements. They had free living space, the opportunity to give their children the best education in the world at the expense of the state, a stable salary, and vacationed on trade union vouchers at the best resorts. Basically, this opinion can be heard from ordinary people.

At the same time, other people who lived at that time, for example, representatives of creative professions, say that they were subjected to ideological pressure and could not publish or perform works on stage that were subject to merciless censorship. They could not openly express their opinions about existing shortcomings in society, much less criticize the authorities, or freely travel abroad. And they also did not have the opportunity to live in comfortable conditions, earn more money, or drive foreign cars.

Conclusion

It seems that both sides are right in their own way. Both facts took place in the USSR. The question is, in the name of what does a person decide to give up economic stability and a quiet life? It’s one thing if he wants to buy an expensive car and travel abroad by successfully carrying out several dubious financial transactions. Another is the desire and opportunity to conduct free economic and political activities for the benefit of oneself and the people, while being a rich person. Unfortunately, the second, with all the inherent advantages of the paternalistic system, is unattainable.

LECTURE QUESTIONS

Paternalism and its forms

Goals of economic policy of paternalism

Principles of paternalistic economic policy

Economic policy instruments of paternalism

Literature:

1) Zaslavskaya T.I., Ryvkina R.V. Sociology of economic life. Essays on theory. Ed. Aganbegyan A.G. – Novosibirsk: Science, 1995.

Kolodko G.A. From shock to therapy: the political economy of post-socialist transformation. – M., 2000.

4) Chubinskaya S.V., Golikov V.I. Models for the formation of state and municipal policies.// Management Consulting, No. 4, 2005

PATERNALISM AND ITS FORMS

Under paternalism(from the Latin paternus - paternal) refers to the patronage, guardianship of the elder over the younger of one country over another, the state over its citizens, the company over its employees. Paternalism at the state level means that the entire society is represented as a family, the head of which (the father) is the state. It determines what is good and what is bad (state ideology), distributes benefits taking into account everyone’s place in the hierarchical system of power. All public organizations have the right to exist only as mechanisms that strengthen power. In the field of state economic policy, paternalism is based on the belief that the state and government are obliged to take care of citizens, ensure that their needs are met at public expense, and take upon themselves all concerns for the well-being of citizens. The paternalistic model of the economy provides for a significant public sector, a protectionist role of the state in relation to industry, agriculture and the banking sector, and significant social obligations of the central and local budgets. Paternalism involves “charitable despotism” - state intervention in any sphere of a person’s life, and this is done without the consent of the ward. The patronizing party is recognized as having the right to apply sanctions and or rewards in order to regulate the behavior of the dependent party in various spheres of life.

For many decades, various forms of paternalism have existed in the world. Let's consider two of them: one of the softest is the policy model of the Japanese government in the post-war years, and the most stringent is the policy of the Soviet state.

Japanese government model was based on traditional Japanese paternalism, when the state managed actively encouraged competition. In the first stages of post-war development, Japan chose an economic model that involved strict government regulation. The mechanisms of state influence on the economy included both market regulation factors and methods of institutional direct administrative regulation. From the point of view of market factors, government activities during this period focused on stimulating aggregate demand. Administrative activities included the creation of special state bodies for economic management: the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry, the Department of Economic Planning, etc. Institutional - on the adoption of laws relating to antimonopoly regulation, tax and agrarian reform, labor relations, foreign economic relations, as well as the basic law of the country - the Constitution .

Thanks to strict regulation of economic relations, it was possible to create an internal competitive market. This was a big step towards creating a market system and, although Japanese entrepreneurs were protected from foreign competitors, domestic competition remained quite fierce. As a temporary measure to restore the economy and due to limited resources, 15 “public corporations” (kodan) were created, which performed the function of distributing essential products, both in the domestic market and in foreign trade. Foreign economic policy was determined by the high dependence of Japanese industry on external raw materials and energy resources. It consisted of control over foreign trade, foreign exchange transactions, capital movements, and was carried out through the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry, as well as a system of authorized banks.

The main direction of tax The reform was a reduction in taxes in the production sector: not only was there no value added tax in the country, but additional, tax-free categories were also included in production costs. In general, tax payments in Japan were much lower than in other developed countries of the world. As part of agrarian reform two issues were being resolved: the creation of a farm, with a focus on small and small-scale farming, existing with the support of the state, and the country's self-sufficiency in food, primarily a marketable product.

This policy was pursued by the Government of Japan until the mid-70s of the twentieth century, but after that a period of decline in economic development began, and therefore a course was adopted from an import-substituting economy to an export-oriented one. And that is why the Japanese government had to gradually abandon paternalistic economic policies and give way to a liberal market economy, because government intervention was no longer so necessary for the country's rapid economic growth.

Strict paternalism in the USSR can be divided into two traditions: personified and impersonal. The historical time of the first is defined as the Stalinist period of the existence of the Soviet state; the second is post-Stalin.

Personified paternalistic tradition represents the Ruler, towering above his subjects, he - in contrast to ordinary people - is bright, unusual, full of significance. Only the ruler is competent in matters of power. This leads to the deprivation of citizens of political independence. The Supreme Ruler is a spiritual shepherd, the only one who truly represents the prospects for social development and leads humanity to happiness. Attempts at dispute are harshly suppressed; political positions, as well as any assessments and judgments of citizens, were determined in the likeness of the supreme ruler.

The myth of Stalin's “political culture” represents the state as a “great family”, as a natural union of citizens who experience for each other the same feelings of warmth and care as members of a “small family” based on blood ties. However, the state must be given preference.

De-Stalinization led to the depersonalization of the party leadership and the elevation of the status of the party as such. The paternalistic tradition of the post-Stalin period manifests itself in the social policy of the state.

The “Khrushchev Thaw” was a time of restriction of the economic freedoms of Soviet citizens until they were completely excluded. Economic independence, self-reliance, and entrepreneurship are stigmatized. In the economic sphere, citizens had the only right - to work in state enterprises. Social policy has no economic basis. Its source was that a Soviet citizen could receive material benefits only from the hands of the state. The main directions of the state's paternalistic policy were: free healthcare; free education; guaranteed employment; price stability. The administrative-command management system and the system of state paternalism created by it, unlike the Japanese one, cannot in any way be considered as a constituent or complementary element of market relations. The main feature of Soviet paternalism – this is an exchange of a given labor activity for the opportunity to satisfy limited life-supporting needs.

OBJECTIVES OF ECONOMIC POLICY OF PATERNALISM

Setting goals for the economic policy of paternalism is characterized by a number of features that are determined by the need to show concern for business entities and citizens. The goals of economic policy are also those whose achievement could be ensured by the market without the participation of the state. The most typical among them are the following goals:

Ensuring the well-being of the people. Achieving a tangible improvement in the financial situation and living conditions of people;

Social protection coverage of the entire population;

Regulating the income of citizens to achieve “social justice”;

Development of priority, according to the government, sectors of the economy;

Ensuring the advantages of national producers over foreign ones.

A number of goals of the economic policy of the Republic of Belarus are also paternalistic in nature. The program of socio-economic development of the Republic of Belarus for 2006-2010 establishes the main development goal as “increasing the level and quality of life of the population based on increasing the competitiveness of the economy, creating a state convenient for people.” To achieve this, economic policy, among others, concentrates on achieving such goals as: increasing the monetary income of the population, including wages, pensions, scholarships, benefits and other social benefits; the work of government bodies in the interests of people in order to meet their needs; introduction of a system of increased social standards in all spheres of society; increasing the efficiency of the agro-industrial complex, further developing the social infrastructure of the village. The listed goals are characterized by the state’s desire to create a high level of social security, increase citizens’ incomes, and support lagging sectors of the economy through redistribution.

PRINCIPLES OF PATERNALISM ECONOMIC POLICY

The system of principles of paternalism in economic policy reflects the determining role of the state in all spheres of the economy.

The principle of social responsibility of the state. The state centrally assumes responsibility for the socio-economic situation of citizens and the use of any administrative levers to achieve goals. All other subjects of social policy (enterprises, public organizations, etc.) act either on behalf of the state or under its control. The state also provides support to citizens in cases where this may worsen the operating conditions of enterprises. For example, the condition of an administrative increase in wages if it is impossible to reduce staff. In contrast, the liberal model is based on the principle of personal responsibility of each member of society for his own destiny and the destiny of his family.

The principle of priority of the goals of the state over the goals of individual economic entities. The principle of priority of administrative methods of management over economic ones.

The principle of responsibility for the intended use of state aid.

The principle of gratuitousness and charity. State support for citizens and business entities can be provided free of charge.

The principle of equality in the consumption of social goods and services, their general availability. Each citizen must be provided with a minimum level of income and the opportunity to access a certain volume of social services (minimum standards for providing the population with social services by administrative-territorial units).

The principle of priority of the social sphere. The dynamic development of the social sphere is recognized as the most important condition for the sustainable development of society.

The principle of priority of decisions of the central government over the local one. Even if this is contrary to the interests of the local population.

INSTRUMENTS OF ECONOMIC POLICY OF PATERNALISM

Like other models of economic policy, paternalism uses economic institutions and administrative measures as tools, but the latter are used to a much greater extent. This is due to the fact that in the paternalistic model, the state in most cases has a developed administrative apparatus at all levels of economic management, which is capable of quickly and cost-effectively establishing restrictions that contribute to achieving the goals of the state. Administrative levers are used in systems of income redistribution under state control, in mechanisms for intervention in the processes of pricing, tariff regulation, and employment.

Administrative Tools economic policies do not take into account the economic interests of subjects, and therefore have a coercive nature of action.

The financial basis of paternalistic policies are not only funds from the state budget and budgets of state enterprises, but also extra-budgetary funds and quasi-fiscal operations. The budget structure is characterized by high expenses for the social sphere, support for industries and enterprises, as well as for the maintenance of the state apparatus. The tax burden is significantly higher compared to other countries. Features of the tax system the fact that there is differentiation of taxpayers associated with a significant amount of tax benefits provided to enterprises depending on their role in the economy.

The public sector is an important tool for influencing the economy, consisting of a complex of economic facilities mainly in the field of infrastructure, heavy and mining industry and energy.

When pursuing a policy of “soft paternalism”, a significant part of the public sector consists of infrastructure facilities, which are mostly unprofitable. The other part belongs to industries that require large investments and have low capital turnover, where the profitability of state-owned enterprises is lower than that of private ones.

Under strict paternalism, the state strives to maintain control over the largest and most efficient enterprises as sources of budget revenue and subjects of social policy. The size of the public sector is growing both due to new construction and due to investment in the private sector under the pretext of the need for government support.

All instruments of the concept of economic policy of paternalism are brought together into a system within the framework of state economic programs. Here they play a special role, since the presence of the state in the economy is significant and it is the government that determines the main trends and paths of development. The programs cover almost all areas. Planned (forecast) indicators may be mandatory for execution by all business entities. While under liberal policies they are indicative, that is, they are of a targeted recommendatory and stimulating nature. Programming allows you to synthetically use all means of state regulation of the economy, to avoid inconsistency and inconsistency in the regulatory activities of individual government agencies.

State policies of paternalism are usually based on a certain type of mentality of society. Historically, such a society is characterized by communality, as a device in which all parts are a single indivisible system and cannot be separated without the threat of its collapse. This is due to the communal organization of society at previous stages of development, which led to the presence of strong redistribution mechanisms. A person in such a system is dependent on social organization and is the subject of influence. A strong state, as a subject of governance in relation to the individual and a source of the most important benefits, formed a type of personality alienated from governing the country, but, on the other hand, rarely openly opposed to the state. The prerequisites for a paternalistic mentality are also the absence of a situation of choice and the limited needs of citizens. At the level of mass consciousness, attitudes toward social dependency and a paternalistic perception of state power have been formed. A person views the state as an institution of care, a guardian and guarantor of social order, a source of any possible benefit.

SEMINAR QUESTIONS

The policy of paternalism, its characteristic features.

Model of “soft paternalism” policy.

The policy model of strict paternalism and its variations.

Goals of economic policy of paternalism.

Principles of paternalistic economic policy.

Instruments of economic policy of paternalism.

Psychological prerequisites for the policy of paternalism.

TOPICS OF INDEPENDENT WORK

FEATURES OF THE BELARUSIAN MODEL OF ECONOMIC PATERNALISM.

PATERNALISM IN THE FIELD OF FINANCE REGULATION.

PATERNALISM IN TAX POLICY.

INDUSTRIAL POLICY OF PATERNALISM.

Topic VII. Economic policy of the “social market economy”

Lecture Questions

Goals and elements of the SRH concept

Foreign trade policy of the SRH

Literature:

Oyken V. Basic principles of economic policy. – M., 2004

Erhard L. Welfare for all. - M., 1991

Theoretical foundations and practical implementation of the concept of social market economy

The term “social market economy” first appeared in 1947 in the work of the State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics, Professor Alfred Müller-Armack. Subsequent developments were continued by V. Repke and L. Erhard. The creation of a model of a social market economy, as the main economic task of economic policy, was announced by German Chancellor K. Adenauer.

“SRH,” according to Repka, is “the path to economic humanism.” This is a type of economy that contrasts concentration of power with freedom, centralism with decentralization, and organization with self-government.

Prof. Ludwig Erhard (1897-1977) – the main architect of economic reforms based on the concept of a social market economy, Minister of Economics of the Federal Republic of Germany (1949-1963) and Chancellor in 1963-1966. Under his leadership, a group of economists developed the “Hamburg Plan,” the implementation of which made it possible to bring West Germany out of crisis in the late 40s. The basic principles of the SRH concept are set out in the book “Prosperity for All”.

The term “social” in relation to the concept of a market economy means:

The market economy, due to its efficiency, i.e., due to the fact that it creates economic prerequisites for “welfare for all” and represents economic freedoms limited by the inviolability of the rights of third parties, is social in nature;

The market economy must be limited where it would lead to socially undesirable results, or the results of the free economic process must be adjusted if they are not “social” enough.

Social market economy – This is the idea of ​​political ordering, the purpose of which is to connect a society built on competition, private initiative with social progress ensured precisely by the productivity of a market economy.

Goals and tools of the SRH concept

The goals of the social market economy and the means that must be used to achieve them in accordance with the general concept can be characterized as follows:

Achieving the highest level of well-being carried out by establishing a competitive order based on private ownership of the means of production and free pricing; pursuing policies aimed at economic growth without restricting economic freedom; ensuring full employment, guaranteeing an income to every person able and willing to work; freedom of foreign trade and currency exchange, expansion of the international division of labor.

Ensuring economic efficiency, a socially fair monetary system and price stability is achieved through the independence of the Central Bank, stability of the State Budget, equalization of the balance of payments and balance in foreign trade.

Social security, social justice and social progress is created by achieving the maximum level of social product as the economic basis of social security; a competitive order that minimizes social injustice and promotes social progress, as well as through government adjustment of the initial distribution of income and property in the form of payment of social assistance, pensions, compensation, additional payments for housing, etc.

The role and importance of competition in SRH

According to L. Erhard, competition in its understanding as “complete freedom of action” led to the establishment of an order where a small upper layer could afford (in terms of consumption) everything, and, on the other hand, a vast, but not possessed high purchasing power, lower stratum of the population. It is necessary to create the prerequisites to overcome this contradiction and hostility between the “rich” and the “poor”. The most effective means to achieve prosperity is competition. It makes it possible for all people to benefit from economic progress, especially in their group of consumers. It also destroys all privileges that are not a direct result of increased productivity.

Through competition, the socialization of progress and profit can be achieved - in the best sense of the word; Moreover, it does not allow everyone’s personal desire for achievements at work to fade. Ensuring free competition is one of the most important tasks of a state based on a free social system. A law prohibiting cartels should have the meaning of an “economic constitution.” No one should have the right to suppress and limit individual freedom in the name of a falsely understood freedom. “The concepts of “welfare for all” and the concept of Welfare through competition” are inextricably linked as a goal and the path leading to it.” This is the difference between a social market economy and a classical liberal economy.

Main tool states. Promoting the development of free competition is “ expansion policy", representing stimulation of supply rather than demand (expansion means an increase in the total profitability of the national economy). Therefore, an unjustified increase in wages without a corresponding increase in labor productivity is not capable of increasing well-being.

A necessary condition for expansion is maintaining sustainability, which can be disrupted by both unreasonable demands for higher wages and increased government spending. And, at the same time, a decent standard of living must be ensured for those who, without their own fault, cannot take direct part in the production process.

Economic rights of individuals in SRH

The freedom of every citizen to arrange his life in a way that meets (within the limits of his financial capabilities) his personal desires and ideas. This is the fundamental democratic right of freedom of consumption, which is complemented by the freedom of the entrepreneur to produce and sell products that meet demand. “Freedom of consumption and freedom of economic activity should be perceived in the minds of every citizen as inviolable fundamental rights. An attack on them should be punished as an attack on our social system. Democracy and public economy are in the same logical connection as dictatorship and state economy.”

The stability of the national currency should be included among the basic human rights, and every person has the right to demand from the state its preservation. Only in this way can the enrichment of certain circles of the population at the expense of others be prevented. Currency instability poses not only economic dangers, but also social and political ones.

The desire to increase prosperity means abandoning unscrupulous policies that prefer apparent success to genuine progress.

Anti-cartel legislation – who wants to eliminate the free price function. It kills competition, no matter who carries it out: the state or an enterprise.

Tasks of the state and the role of public associations in socialist society

The state should not interfere directly in the economy unless the economy itself requires it. In a competitive economy, government activity as an entrepreneur is unacceptable.

Entrepreneurship should not turn the state into a representative of its interests. A clear division of functions and areas of activity between entrepreneurship and economic and political activities, which is the task of the government, must be maintained. Responsibility for economic policy lies exclusively with the state within the framework of the democratic competencies and rights given to it. Entrepreneurs should not interfere in economic policy.

Maintain free competition to the greatest extent possible: where it is not possible, prevent the abuses of large business groups.

The role of public associations should not replace government functions. Large public organizations that claim to represent public interests can turn the state into a toy in their hands. But the demands of organizations do not meet the interests of the individuals they represent. An organization can only be considered safe as long as it conscientiously tries to summarize individual ideas, crystallizing wishes, but does not try to pursue its own politics of power, the politics of the organization itself, as such.

The state is intended to realize the interests of society as a whole, and should not allow the interests of individual social groups to dominate, even if they constitute the majority of society. This is its main function if it is democratic.

Income policy and social policy of the SRH

Incomes should increase only as social wealth grows, therefore, wages can only increase if labor productivity increases, but it is preferable to increase real incomes due to lower prices.

Poverty - The first means to make a person wither in petty material everyday worries, material worries make a person more and more unfree. We need to create a viable economy. As a basis for everyone in their pursuit of higher spiritual values. Only when the material basis of human existence is ordered, people become free and mature for sublime deeds.

Social politics cannot indirectly undermine the productivity of the national economy. It should not contradict the foundations on which the market economy rests:

The involvement of independent workers in the collective security system is contraindicated. They must consciously bear economic risk.

Social policies that undermine the stability of the currency are fraught with the greatest dangers for ensuring the functioning of the social market economy.

“Social security, of course, is a good thing, and it is highly desirable, but it must be based, first of all, on everyone’s own energy, on their own achievements and aspirations. Social security does not mean social insurance for everyone, it does not mean transferring individual responsibility to the collective. In the beginning there must be your own. Personal responsibility, and only when this responsibility alone turns out to be insufficient or is ineffective, do the obligations of the state or society towards a person come into force.”

Foreign trade policy of the SRH

For a social market economy there is no other way than to move quickly along the path of expanding freedom and refrain along this path from all government manipulations that impede this freedom. And this applies to all issues related to the exchange of goods and services, to the circulation of money and capital, to customs policy and to freedom of choice of place of residence and work.

SEMINAR QUESTIONS

1) The concept of social market economy. The essence of the SRX concept.

2) Goals and instruments of the SRH policy.

3) The role of competition in SRH.

4) The tasks of the state in the Socialist Republic.

5) The role of public organizations in SRH.

6) Income policy in the SRH.

7) Foreign trade policy of the SRH.

TOPICS OF INDEPENDENT WORK

Theoretical and methodological foundations of the concept of “social market economy”

"Hamburg Plan" and its implementation.

The role of competition in various models of economic organization.

Social policy in various concepts of economic policy.

Foreign trade policy in various concepts of economic policy.

Social policy plays a huge role in the internal policy of any state, since problems arising in the social sphere are directly related to the development of the economic and political life of the country, and therefore are a kind of indicator of the development of society.

Social politics- this is the activity of the state and/or public institutions related to relations between social groups and communities regarding the conditions for the creation and distribution of a social product, allowing for the coordination of the fundamental interests and needs of these population groups with the long-term interests and goals of society.

In a narrow sense, social policy can be defined as a system of measures aimed at implementing social programs, in particular, maintaining incomes, living standards of the population, ensuring employment, supporting sectors of the social sphere, and preventing social conflicts.

The main indicators of social development influenced by social policy are: income as material sources of livelihood; employment; health; housing; culture; education; environment. The state's social policy is implemented through the mechanism of state social security programs and a system of social services.

The main goal of social policy is to ensure the dynamic development of the socio-political system by creating conditions for able-bodied citizens to maintain well-being through their work and enterprise, and guaranteeing social security and support to disabled, socially vulnerable segments of the population.

Social policy includes four main parts:

Creation of legal, organizational and financial conditions for social organizations to meet the various needs of members of society;

Creation of legal, organizational, production prerequisites for citizens to independently earn money to maintain the required standard of living;

Creating conditions to meet the needs of the population through the development of social infrastructure owned and/or disposed of by state or municipal authorities;

Organization of production, distribution and consumption of individual goods and products at manufacturing enterprises and social institutions owned and/or disposed of by state or municipal authorities.

There are different models:

· Social democratic model (Scandinavian model)

In a social policy model of this type, a significant part of the costs for social needs is borne by the state, and the main channel of redistribution is the budget. The state bears primary responsibility for the social well-being of its citizens and is the main provider of social services. Services (education, health care, care for children and the elderly, etc.) are in most cases organized by municipalities. This system operates through redistribution (for example, the budget or social insurance funds), and the share of social expenditures is very high. This model is, to one degree or another, embodied in the policies of countries such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway.

· conservative model (continental)

In this model, the state is generally responsible only for issuing social benefits to recipients, that is, for social security, but does not organize social services. Here, budget allocations and insurance contributions of the employee and employer for social activities are approximately equal, and the main channels of redistribution are both public and private (but under state control) social insurance funds. This model is followed by Germany, France, Austria, and Belgium.

liberal

This model is characterized by minimal government participation in the social sphere. The financial basis for the implementation of social programs is primarily private savings and private insurance, rather than state budget funds. The state assumes responsibility only for maintaining the minimum income of all citizens and for the well-being of the weakest and most disadvantaged sections of the population. However, it maximally stimulates the creation and development in society of various forms of non-state social insurance and social support, as well as various means and ways for citizens to receive and increase their income. A similar model of the welfare state is typical for the USA, England and Ireland.

· Pan-European model of social policy

The basis is the principle of combining economic efficiency and social solidarity. The emphasis is on the balanced development of European social policy, transparency and respect for the interests of all EU member states. There is a process of reorientation of social programs from a universal level to an individual one, which is much cheaper and more effective, since targeted assistance is provided only to those who really need it.

· And others..

However, all existing models of social policy, with all their differences in different countries of the world, generally implement two main approaches.

State paternalism . It is focused on the state’s determination of qualitative (ideology) and quantitative (social sphere) parameters of all forms of relations in society without exception and the elimination (prevention of the emergence) of alternative types of these relations.

This approach to social policy assumes that the state assumes full responsibility for the level of income of citizens (households), their social security in the absence of deviant (different from the ideology adopted by the government structures) behavior of the citizen.

All expenses related to social policy, when using this approach, are financed from government sources - the state budget, special social funds. The state strictly controls the level of consumption of able-bodied members of society, setting the wages of workers regardless of the economic indicators of the enterprise where they work.

At the same time, the state plans the volume of production of consumer goods and services, distributing the resources necessary for this among producers. Prices for manufactured products are set by government pricing authorities, regardless of the level of product supply in the relevant markets. As a rule, the state identifies a list of socially significant goods, the prices of these goods may be below cost (for example, children's products, housing and communal services) and “luxury” items, the prices of which, as a rule, are significantly higher than cost (cars).

The state also takes care of providing households with housing, if necessary, and distributing land plots for the development of subsistence agricultural production.

Dignity social policy of state paternalism is the so-called “confidence in the future” for the bulk of the population. Unemployment is excluded as a social phenomenon. The amounts of wages and social benefits, a list of free guarantees in healthcare, education, and other areas of social life are known in advance. Prices for essential goods and services are stable. The intellectual potential of the nation is being developed, which, however, in many cases remains unclaimed. The state protects the economic and social rights of ideologically obedient citizens in the sphere of labor and employment, but often to the detriment of economic efficiency.

TO shortcomings this approach refers, first of all, to a shortage of goods and services, including essential goods and services. The state is forced to intervene in the sphere of their distribution, replacing money circulation in certain sectors of the consumer market with the circulation of documented rights to purchase goods and services in one way or another. By strictly controlling the relationship between the measure of labor and the measure of consumption, the state does not allow the development of significant scale economic activity in the non-state sector of the economy, which could lead to an uncontrolled increase in income. The level of well-being of citizens depends not so much on the results of their activities, but on their membership in a particular organization: based on political priorities, the state, in conditions of commodity shortages, uses the mechanism of funded distribution of goods and determines the organizations where they are sent as a matter of priority. The development of independent intellectual centers and self-organizations of citizens - potential opponents of the existing model of organizing society and the social policy pursued in it - is not encouraged. The emergence of households economically independent from the state in any significant numbers is also not encouraged.

Social policy based on the model of state paternalism was carried out in the former USSR and the Russian Federation as one of its constituent republics since the late 1920s. (when the so-called “socialist” industrialization began, which required the concentration of resources in the hands of the state) until the end of the 1980s, when the laws “On Cooperation”, “On State Enterprise (Association)”, a package of normative documents “On Radical Restructuring” were adopted economic management." The expansion of the economic component of public life during that period due to the abolition of some administrative and ideological restrictions led to the rapid collapse of the social policy being pursued - new economic opportunities turned out to be much broader for part of the population than the existing social guarantees.

Liberal approach to social policy. It is based on the postulate of dividing members of society into economically strong and economically weak. The duty of society is to care for the weak and create conditions for the development of the economic potential of the strong.

The economically weak have the right to count on social support financed from budgetary resources. The state establishes the rules for access of citizens (households) to these systems, types of social support and their amounts. In this case, the principle of targeting is widely used, according to which households with per capita incomes exceeding a certain established minimum are excluded from possible consumers of social support. The economically weak are guaranteed to receive various social benefits from the budget, including need-based benefits, disability pensions, social pensions assigned in the absence of work experience, and some other payments. For the economically weak, it is also possible to obtain free rental housing in municipalities, but the quality of this housing is significantly lower than that purchased on the free market.

In addition, the state creates the prerequisites for the development of charitable activities of legal entities and individuals, expanding the possibilities of social support for economically weak households.

If the state is interested in solving any major socio-economic problems, it provides social support to both economically weak and economically strong households at the same time. This situation may arise, in particular, when stimulating population migration from labor-abundant regions to labor-deficient regions by providing households with special housing subsidies. But the size of these subsidies, as a rule, varies depending on various factors, and primarily on the amount of per capita income in households.

As for economically strong households, they are in most cases excluded from social support systems financed from the state budget. This, however, does not mean that they do not have the right to count on such support - the important thing is that it is provided through other sources of funding.

With a liberal approach to social policy, these sources are formed through mandatory social insurance contributions. During the period of their employment, the employee and the employer are obligatory participants in state insurance systems that provide payment of monetary compensation upon the occurrence of such basic insured events as, for example:

a) reaching retirement age and length of service sufficient for the assignment of labor pensions;

b) illness, related or not related to professional activity, and temporary loss of ability to work. In this case, the cost of medical services related to treatment under compulsory health insurance programs is reimbursed, and the employee receives temporary disability benefits;

c) recognition of a citizen of working age as incapable of work (establishment of disability), as a result of which he is awarded a disability pension;

d) a citizen of working age loses his job and registers him as unemployed, after which he is assigned unemployment benefits.

The state establishes principles and algorithms for determining payments of mandatory social benefits in the social insurance system and promotes the development of non-state social insurance.

The wages of employees, with the exception of those employed in organizations financed from the budget, are set by employers independently depending on the results of the organization’s economic activities.

The production of goods and services for the population is carried out not in accordance with approved state plans, but on the basis of the existing effective demand of the population.

Main dignity liberal approach social policy is focused on developing the abilities of members of society (primarily for productive and creative work) in the interests of an unlimited growth in the level of their consumption by the state and partial redistribution of resources in the interests of social support for households in need. In households that constantly participate with their contributions in compulsory social insurance systems (primarily pensions), the level of income upon the occurrence of insured events (for example, reaching retirement age) decreases slightly. A consequence of the economic and social self-realization of citizens is the independence of most households from the state, which is a factor in the development of civil society.

Flaws this approach manifest themselves in significant differences between the consumption levels of economically strong and economically weak households; the amounts of social payments made from the state budget, on the one hand, and social insurance systems, on the other hand. These differences for different categories of households also occur in the case of receiving social benefits from the same sources of financing.

Operating at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. in Russia, the Federal Law “On Employment of the Population in the Russian Federation” established a significant differentiation in the amount of unemployment benefits for registered unemployed people depending on their work history - from the minimum wage to the subsistence level established in the corresponding region - a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. At the end of 2000, the difference between the minimum (100 rubles) and maximum (1285 rubles on average in the Russian Federation) amounts of monthly unemployment benefits was almost 13 times.

General between the considered approaches to social policy is that in the event of extreme (force majeure) situations due to natural (earthquakes, floods, etc.) or man-made reasons (accidents, terrorist attacks, etc.), assistance from the state budget is provided to everyone without exception households, regardless of their income level.

The social policy pursued in Russia in the 1990s was eclectic. It combined elements of social policy of state paternalism and a liberal approach. Elements of targeted social support were introduced, for example, for receiving monthly child benefits in the late 1990s - early 2000s. Only those households with children whose per capita income was no higher than 100% of the established subsistence level could apply. Various models for assigning need-based benefits have been tested in the regions. The non-state sector of the social sphere developed, providing its services at market prices in healthcare and higher education. In these sectors, free social services provided for by the Russian Constitution were maintained. At the same time, the majority of the population continued to pay for housing and communal services and partially transport services at prices below their cost, and therefore the regional and local budgets provided for the allocation of funds for subsidies to enterprises that provided these services.

All existing models of social policy are, in principle, variants and combinations of the two main approaches discussed above. They may differ in the values ​​of their basic indicators, which make it possible to classify one of them as state paternalism, and the other as liberal models.

In particular, with a liberal approach to social policy, the degree of participation of employees and employers in mandatory payments to the social insurance system may fluctuate significantly. So, if in the mid-1990s. While employee contributions in Denmark exceeded employer contributions by almost 4.2 times, and in the Netherlands - 3.4 times, in Sweden almost all social insurance contributions were made by employers, and the share of employees was only 0.7%. This share was also low in Iceland (3.9%) and Finland (5.5%).

In turn, models of social policy of state paternalism may differ in the degree of rigidity, the presence or absence of opportunities for the population to receive income in cash and in kind from alternative government sources. An example is the agricultural policy in the former USSR, when private plots of citizens were seen either as an obstacle to full-time work in a collective farm (late 1950s - early 1960s), or, conversely, as a factor in increasing agricultural production in the country (1970s - 1980s)

Introduction

1. Models of social policy
2. Principles of the strategy for socio-economic development of Russia
3. Social policy priorities
4. The current stage of development of social policy in Russia

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The transformation of Russian society has given rise to qualitatively new phenomena in all spheres of life. It deeply affected the level, and especially the quality of life of Russians, and demanded an adequate social policy.

The adoption of a number of federal laws and programs providing for changes in the structure and directions of social protective activities, unfortunately, did not in itself alleviate the acuteness of the vital problems of many categories of the population. In society there are always social strata, families and individuals who find themselves in difficult life situations. For them, in addition to providing general living conditions, social protection is additionally required, including targeted social support and social services.

The social protection system of the population of the Russian Federation has entered the second decade of its development. Since 1991, having been revived as a new type of professional activity, it has gone through a certain path marked by rapid development.

The main purpose of writing this course work is to determine a new course for the development of social policy in Russia. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve a number of problems:

Consider the main models of social policy;

Outline the basic principles of the strategy for social and economic development of Russia;

Identify social policy priorities;

Consider the situation in the development of social policy at the present stage.

To consider this topic, textbooks and periodicals by such authors as Goncharov P.K., Laikam K., Pronin S., Ishaev V., Karelova V. and others were used.

1. Models of social policy

States in the post-socialist space have common problems in the social sphere. Among them, one of the main ones is the presence of huge state social obligations inherited from the socialist system and not backed by financial resources.

In the modern history of the post-socialist period, two main models for the development of social policy are distinguished: the paternalistic model and the targeted social system.

Paternalistic model social development was borrowed from the practice of regulating the social sphere of the Soviet Union. It is characterized by a strict definition by the state of human behavior in the social sphere and coverage of social protection for almost the entire population. The low efficiency of the paternalistic model and the inability to solve modern social problems have identified the need for comprehensive, systemic reforms in the social sphere as one of the main tasks of modern socio-economic development . (5)

For models of targeted social policy Characterized by differentiation in the performance of social functions of the state in relation to various segments of the population, redistribution of state social expenditures in favor of the most vulnerable groups of the population, increasing the efficiency of the social system, reducing social tension in society.

The period of transition to a more effective model of social policy is characterized by the complexity and depth of the necessary transformations and requires an integrated, systematic approach. Reforming the social sphere cannot be considered and implemented in isolation from the implementation of macroeconomic transformations and the reform of government power. During this period there is a specific transitional model.

The level of social tension, volume, and nature of accumulated social problems require adherence to a phased, evolutionary approach to building a new model of social policy. In the process of transition to a targeted social system, the following main stages can be distinguished:

Anti-crisis management of social processes in society;

Achieving social stability;

Sustainable development of the social sphere.

Social policy in post-socialist Russia, as in many other countries with economies in transition, was focused primarily on maintaining the scale of social services provided by the state. At the same time, efforts aimed at increasing the effectiveness of social programs receded into the background. Against the backdrop of a rapid decline in GDP, the share of social expenditures in total government expenditures increased.

The main form of social protection of the population in countries with market economies is social insurance. The modern social insurance system is still characterized by the main features and problems of the paternalistic model of social development. The process of reforming the system, which was formed under conditions of centralized, planned management and equalizing principles, is far from complete.

The basis of the state insurance system was made up of state off-budget social funds: the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation, the Mandatory Medical Insurance Fund and the State Employment Fund. In addition to extra-budgetary funds, the source of financing social policy is a three-level budget system, including the Federal budget of the Russian Federation, regional and local budgets. (4)

The increase in the share of social expenditures that occurred in the 90s could not prevent a decline in the standard of living of the population, including workers in social sectors. It only led to a further rapid increase in the problem of the budget deficit.

In general, the paternalistic model of social development shows its low effectiveness in regulating social processes in modern society. Among its many disadvantages, the following should be highlighted:

• discrepancy between the financial capabilities of the state and the volume of legally defined social obligations;
• unreasonably high (from the point of view of financial capabilities) expenses in the social sphere;
• insufficient interdepartmental coordination of bodies involved in the formation and implementation of social policy;
• cross-implementation of social programs, causing duplication of social assistance;
• an imperfect system for assessing the effectiveness of social spending;
• lack of a systematic approach to the formation of social protection of the population.

The imbalance of resources and obligations of the state is the most acute budgetary problem, the solution of which is highlighted as one of the strategic tasks of the country's development at the present stage.

The problem of unclear delimitation of spending and tax powers between budgets of all levels has a significant impact on the effectiveness of the implementation of social policy.

Thus, the social system of modern Russia contains an archaic structure of distribution of social services by type, category of recipients, sources of financing and place of assistance.

Nevertheless, the use of a paternalistic model of social policy at the initial stage of socio-economic transformations in Russia was justified for a number of objective reasons:

A sharp drop in the standard of living of most of the population;

Lack of experience in solving such large-scale problems in the field of social policy;

Lack of technical, regulatory and methodological means to solve many problems of social reforms;

Insufficient clarity of the state's socio-economic priorities;

The lack of formation of the social structure of society;

The need to make full use of those resources, forms and methods of work that remained from the pre-reform social protection system.

In view of the scale and significance of the accumulated problems, reforming the state’s social policy has been identified as one of the strategic tasks of the country’s development at the present stage. Social reform is seen as an integral part of the economic and financial strategy of the state.

The priority direction of social reforms is the transition to a more effective model - a model of targeted social policy, implemented taking into account the resources and capabilities actually available to the state and focused on supporting the most socially vulnerable groups of the population.

A targeted approach will make it possible to redistribute resources allocated to social policy in favor of particularly needy categories of the population, increase the amount of benefits and other payments, while simultaneously reducing the burden of ineffective government spending. Particularly needy categories of the population, in whose favor it is proposed to redistribute state social expenditures, should first of all include families with children, the elderly, disabled people and the unemployed with an income below the subsistence level.

The main target characteristics of the targeted social policy model include the following:

• differentiation of state social policy in relation to various segments of the population;
• correct identification of categories of social assistance recipients;
• using the principle of targeting as a means of redistributing social assistance to the most needy groups of the population;
• “municipalization” of social policy by transferring a significant part of the powers to determine the size and forms of providing social assistance to the regional and municipal levels;
• transfer of the social insurance system to the principles of voluntary social risk insurance;

a clear division of powers in the implementation of social policy between the levels of the budget system.

One of the fundamental problems of the targeted model of social policy is the problem of minimizing the costs associated with correctly identifying the recipient of social assistance. The task of developing effective and inexpensive means testing methods that are well adapted to local conditions is one of the most important for the social policy reform stage. Existing means testing methods based on legal income are imperfect and insufficient.(7)

The strategic goals of social policy in Russia, defined at this stage of development, are:

• achieving tangible achievements in improving the financial situation and living conditions of people;
• ensuring the efficiency of employment of the population, improving the quality and competitiveness of the workforce;
• guarantee of the constitutional rights of citizens in the field of labor, social protection of the population, education, health care, culture, housing;
• reorientation of social policy towards the family, ensuring the rights and social guarantees provided to the family;
• normalization and improvement of the demographic situation, reduction of population mortality, especially among children and citizens of working age.

Achieving the goals defined above presupposes a phased transition to a targeted model of social policy, within which the following main tasks are identified:

• a significant increase in social policy;
• streamlining state social obligations;
• concentration of efforts on solving the most pressing social problems;
• significant improvement of social infrastructure;
• development of new mechanisms for the implementation of social policy.

As part of the implementation of the targeted model by the social system of the Russian Federation, the following main stages can be distinguished.

The current situation in the social sphere can be considered as a stage of anti-crisis management of social processes.

The task of social policy for the near future is to achieve social stability in the development of society. Social stability is a state of social processes in the country that allows for the progressive development of the economy and maintaining political stability in society.

Social stability of the development of society is ensured by the implementation of effective social policy of the state, based on the following basic principles:

• recognition of the need for dynamic development of the social sphere as one of the most important conditions for sustainable development of society;
• clear definition of priorities in the field of social policy supported at the state level;
• ensuring controllability of social processes on the basis of maintaining the unity of the social space and ensuring federal minimum guarantees in the field of social protection of the population;
• ensuring the unity of social policy at various levels of management.

The state of sustainable development of the social sphere is characterized by constant improvement in the quality indicators of the social sphere, the absence of a threat to the social stability of the development of society and the presence of potential for further development.

Sustainable development of the social sphere is becoming a fundamental feature of the long-term strategy for the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation, which is being formed at the present stage. (4)

2. Principles of the strategy for socio-economic development of Russia

The state in a market economy acts as an organizer of the economic order, responsible for establishing the rules of the game and being the guarantor of their stability and implementation, and as an exponent of public interests. The transition to a modern market is a problem of choosing between the speed of transition and the achievability of the expected effect. Under the current conditions, the evolutionary formation of an effective market economy in Russia requires a long time, will predetermine its further lag behind the countries that are leaders in economic development and will be accompanied by a large-scale loss of production and resource potential, and unacceptably large social costs.

The strategy should be based on high, worthy of Russia and at the same time achievable long-term goals. This is the transformation of Russia into a dynamically developing power, ensured on the basis of intensive work and business initiative, reasonable and consistent economic policy, average European standards of living standards in Russian natural, climatic and geographical conditions. (6)

A condition for successful economic development is social consolidation. In order to launch interdependent processes of social consolidation and strengthening of the state, the following conditions are necessary:

• choosing a strategic goal that has consolidating potential and can unite the efforts of different social groups. Formation of a mechanism of social contract between the state, government, business, society, on which, in particular, the institutions of legitimacy of the state and property will be based;
• the creation of a new system of social order that regulates the behavior of the main social actors in the context of the implementation of the strategic goals of the state.

A successful state development strategy based on the principle of welfare for the majority will be determined by the dynamics of the formation of a mass middle class. The formation of the middle class presupposes the formation of a new consumption model of the Russian standard of well-being. Such a standard should include quality housing, a high supply of durable goods, and quality healthcare and education.

Currently, only 5 - 7% of people live according to Western standards of well-being. And the entire Russian class today, which has maintained its pre-perestroika standard of living, makes up no more than 20%. The poverty layer, in which average per capita income does not even cover the subsistence level, covers almost 60 million, or about 40% of the country's population. At the same time, almost 30 million people live on the brink of poverty, which has become stagnant.

Mechanisms for achieving strategic and socio-economic goals. The decisive condition for ensuring economic growth, and consequently the entire development strategy of Russia as a social state in the next 10 years, is investment breakthrough. It assumes:

Accelerated growth of capital investments;

Investment support for a number of key sectors;

Innovative content of investments.

But for investments to become a significant factor, domestic production of investment goods, in particular mechanical engineering, must play a role in their material support. This involves accelerated modernization of this sector based on domestic and imported equipment and technologies.

There are a number of threats to economic dynamics that need to be taken into account:

1. Insufficient domestic demand.
2. External debt.
3. Unpreparedness of the investment complex for large-scale investments.
4. A disproportionately high rate of growth in prices for fuel, electricity, and transport tariffs.

An effective trajectory of economic growth in the medium term naturally falls into three periods.

First period- high growth rates and increased investment, based on the involvement in economic turnover of as yet untapped potential and associated opportunities for significantly increasing the efficiency of resource use. Within this period, it is possible to achieve growth rates of 8 - 10%.

Second period-a significant decline in dynamics is due to the depletion of reserves and the delay in the commissioning of new capacities carried out through investments in recent years. Calculations show that its duration can be two to three years. The rate of economic growth may drop to 2 - 4% per year.

Third period. Starting from 2006, it is possible to reach a stationary development trajectory with growth rates maintained at a level of at least 5% per year for a decade. The task is to create conditions for expanded reproduction based on preferential internal savings and investment opportunities.

About budget policy. There is a need for a balance between social obligations and its ability to mobilize financial resources, both at the federal and regional levels.

The federal budget deficit simply moved to the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. This occurs due to the fact that the social obligations of the regions, which are also state obligations, are not taken into account, i.e. financial resources are transferred to the federal budget, while obligations and responsibilities remain in financially insecure regions. The truism is that a single state must have a single state budget, which must take into account the entire amount of income and expenses for the corresponding year on the territory of the country.

The general principle of achieving a balanced and truly deficit-free budget is not the reduction of expenses, which is what the last government has been constantly doing, but the rapid growth of budget revenues, the basis of which is the income received by the real sector. (10)

1. Social policy priorities

The most important objectively determined requirement for social policy during the transition to a market economy is compliance with the principle of maintaining social balance in the process of society's movement to a qualitatively new state. In this regard, it is necessary to pay attention to the following significant points.

First. Social balance in a modern industrial society is a policy that reflects the interests of the majority of the nation.

Second. Social balance is maintained by the following methods: in the social sphere - ensuring equal social rights, policies of social stability and equalization of living standards and incomes of social groups, global and local mechanisms of social protection from shocks or market “failures”. In the economic sphere - state regulation of the economy, prices, income, employment, financing of social infrastructure as a nationwide system of social reproduction and social guarantees. In the political sphere - broad, mass democracy, a system of institutional mechanisms for ensuring the democratic and social rights of citizens, including mechanisms for the real influence of citizens on politics.

The establishment of the principle of social balance as the fundamental basis of stability and development is a historical turning point in the development of modern states. It was this circumstance that gave impetus to the development of modern social policy as a means of ensuring such balance, both in the current and in the long term. A whole set of medium- and long-term guidelines was developed, based not on intuition, but on scientific forecast assessments of trends in social and economic development.

Social policy is distinguished by the specificity that it does not have its own autonomous tools, mechanisms that ensure the implementation of goals. Social policy is born out of legislation (social, labor, economic), as well as economic policy. Strictly speaking, genuine economic policy takes place if and only when society and the state perceive social goals as priority areas. Moreover, social policy is a mechanism for ensuring permanent transformation processes. At critical stages of development, this mechanism is especially important, since then transformation is always associated with profound changes within the social structure, the growth and expansion of some social groups, the narrowing and disappearance of other groups, changes in their income, status and prestige, and quality of life. All this inevitably leads to a serious breakdown of the existing system of differentiation of social groups on the macrosocial scale of income.

From this point of view, they deserve special attention basic models of social differentiation. There are certain optimal and maximum levels of income differentiation, if we consider this phenomenon from the point of view of criteria of efficiency and well-being. Conventionally, 4 main models of differentiation can be distinguished: super-polar, moderately polar, moderate and egalitarian (non-market).

Superpolar models developments for modern conditions are extremely unstable and fragile. This instability and fragility have the same manifestations everywhere. In social terms, this is the insecurity of the majority, often in the form of outright poverty and misery, and social discontent. In economic terms, this is a drop in efficiency, disincentive and demotivation of productive activity, a sharp division of interests of the elite, employers and workers. It is precisely these development models that are models of social exploitation, when the luxury and fabulous wealth of certain groups and the miserable existence of others. Such models are explosive in their social architecture, and their stability is maintained to a large extent by direct repressive means. Now this model is typical for most underdeveloped countries. For such societies, the level of income differentiation between extreme decile groups (the ratio of incomes of the richest and poorest 10%) is at least 20-30:1.

Moderately polar models. Society realizes the need for certain changes and introduces partial elements of social regulation. They are characterized by the fact that social policy is carried out by the state in a limited field, and it is given very narrow tasks. Such models are characterized by decile differentiation of the order of 10-15:1, which took place in industrial societies of the first half of the 20th century, and now in some developing countries.

Moderate model- the type of model currently dominant in the industrialized countries of the West and Japan. Given certain features, it is generally characterized by a more consolidating social differentiation, a softer scale of social hierarchy compared to the moderately polar model. Income differentiation between extreme decile groups ranges from 3:6 to 6:1.

Along with market models, non-market models are also possible, which arose to some extent as a reaction to hyperpolar income differentiation. These models existed in former socialist countries, and now in Cuba and the DPRK. Such models can be classified as models of the so-called planned differentiation, which, in addition to undoubted positive advantages, also demonstrated serious disadvantages, primarily in the economic sphere. They did not contribute to effective economic growth under normal conditions, when total mobilization of resources was not required; these models are generally characterized by a very low level of income differentiation - up to 4:1.(9)

The main strategic task for Russia during the reforms was the implementation of a set of adequate political and administrative organizational measures that would ensure a relatively smooth transition, without shocks and cataclysms, to a moderate model of social differentiation. Despite the complexity of the economic situation in 1990 - 1991, Russia had all the possibilities for this: a modern industrial structure, a fairly high technological level, a qualified workforce, a powerful social infrastructure and a low level of social differentiation. The only problem was to find an integrating model for combining all these advantages with the principles of a market economy and political democracy. Such a model would give the necessary impetus to the economy and increase well-being.

What happened in Russia in the 90s. gg., cannot but be qualified as a historical failure, a rollback back to the system of social differentiation that existed in Russia at the end of the last - beginning of this century. Changing this situation is one of the main priorities of social policy. At the same time, it is obvious that the solution to the fundamental problems of positive development does not completely depend on the realities of the socio-economic situation of the 90s. and the presence or absence of an optimal program of action. There is a broader set of conditions that determine the success or failure of such a program, and these conditions lie beyond economics and social policy.

Firstly, the new social strategy is doomed to failure without a radical transformation of the entire system of state power. We are talking about the formation of a system of more effective, balanced government, responsible to the people. It is necessary to develop and put into operation mechanisms to ensure the moral purity of government, as well as business. The problem of the “purity” of state power in Russia in the 90s. has reached a critical point. Economic criminalization and corruption have reached levels that threaten national security.

Secondly, there is a need for a significant strengthening of administrative power, its more active and large-scale impact on socio-economic processes. Without this, the formation of an effective market economy is simply impossible.

Thirdly, the consolidation of society is required at the most difficult phase of development, when the foundations of an effective market policy are being formed. In this regard, it is important, in particular, that the information transmitted by the media about the socio-economic and political development of the country is objective and socially neutral.

All these conditions associated with the formation of a system of socially effective and responsible political power are absolutely necessary for the implementation of effective social programs.

And finally, it is necessary to conduct a deep revision of the basic principles of the concept of socio-economic development of Russia.

The success or failure of income and employment policies is critical to achieving effective social development. The issue of forming an effective market mechanism for regulating income and wages remains relevant. The basis of such a mechanism should be a system of close interconnection between the parameters of labor prices and labor costs. Only such a system is capable of bringing into play the mechanisms of human capital, and, consequently, the entire set of motivational mechanisms. (9)

Formed in the 90s. the income distribution system is very socially inefficient. In Russian conditions, extremely low incomes for the vast majority of the active population have become one of the mechanisms for wasting human resources. A mechanism of hyperpolar income differentiation and a sharp gap between price indicators and labor costs has emerged.

This means nothing more than the absence of social policy. Therefore, the government’s goal should be to eliminate this wasteful mechanism and gradually restore the system of parallel dynamics of price and labor costs, i.e., in other words, to promote the formation of a normal labor market.

Undervaluing human capital leads to devastating consequences, since the economy cannot function effectively as either a productive or consuming system. Assuming that the main direction for the near and medium term for Russia is the fight against poverty and misery, This means that policy priority should be given to the formation of an effective (both socially and economically) system of income distribution and an effective wage mechanism.

First of all, we should talk about transforming the minimum wage from a formal statistical indicator into an instrument of real influence on economic processes. The priority increase in the minimum wage simultaneously means a decrease in the level of income differentiation. In addition, this creates an incentive to work and increases economic efficiency, since in this case the entrepreneur will rely on more qualified labor with greater returns. A minimum wage, at least at the subsistence level, is an important tool for ensuring social stability.

The policy of equalizing wages and avoiding sharp differences in wages is also very important. To do this, it would be necessary to develop and adopt a Unified Tariff System to replace the current tariff system, which is formal and limited in nature. The current tariff system essentially breaks down most of the economy. This system has long been incompatible with the principles of social justice and is discriminatory towards public sector employees.

In the medium term (for example, within 3-5 years), the legally established minimum wage should become the main element of the social guarantee system. Firstly, it must be subject to mandatory indexing in full, taking into account rising consumer prices. Secondly, it must correspond to the minimum set of goods and services included in the concept of “living wage”. Thirdly, in the future it is necessary to introduce mechanisms to increase it in accordance with the rate of economic growth.

A special place should be given to government measures to regulate wages in the public sector. In this area, a socially and economically intolerable situation has developed with a significant gap in income as a result of the formation of two wage systems. On the one hand, this is a privileged system that provides special payment conditions, social benefits and guarantees of stability, and it covers employees of public administration (ministries, departments, etc.). on the other hand, this is the budget sector itself, where wages are an order of magnitude lower than wages in government bodies and do not provide (even for high-ranking workers) a living wage. In addition, the problem of non-payment or delay of wages has by no means lost its relevance.

1. The current stage of development of social policy in Russia

Currently, Russia is undergoing serious changes in social policy. As expected, the entire system of social protection of the population is moving to a targeted model of social policy; alas, the citizens of the Russian Federation were not ready for this.

Since June 2004, heated discussions and presentation of various bills began. There have been changes and clarifications in defining the division of powers between levels of government in various spheres of our life, and a new system of social protection of Russian citizens has been built. More precisely - social support.

Benefits, which, in accordance with the previous system, protected different categories of citizens in need, were now replaced by social support measures expressed in rubles.

And this supposed change has become the hottest topic of public debate over the past two months.

When developing this reform it was assumed:

• Benefits are not taken away, but replaced with monthly cash payments.
• This money can only be obtained by refusing free services.
• Each group of beneficiaries has its own amount, which was calculated based on the list of federal benefits entitled to it.
• Those citizens who have serious illnesses (oncology, bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus) can additionally apply for state social assistance if necessary.
• Now no one needs to run to social security or to the Pension Fund branches.
• Each beneficiary will receive a notice where he is offered: either to simply take the money to spend it on whatever he sees fit (even to buy groceries in a store), or to receive part of the payment in the form of a so-called social package, which includes free annual travel tickets, free medicines for a certain amount and a free trip to a sanatorium for treatment.
• If, for example, a disabled person needs medicine and treatment in a sanatorium, but does not travel on the subway or public transport, he can choose from the social package only what he needs, and get the rest in money.
• The social package will cost from 300 to 600 rubles, prices without markups, the government is going to enter into a tariff agreement with transport workers and drug manufacturers.
• Monthly payments will be indexed like pensions (that is, increased), taking into account rising prices throughout the country.
• Monthly cash compensation benefits will be paid along with the pension, but as a separate increase.
• The increase in pension will increase social payments to 6.5 - 7 thousand rubles per month.
• The new social assistance scheme will come into effect from January 2005.
• One of the largest groups enjoying social benefits - labor veterans and home front workers - is not included in the group of federal beneficiaries.(12)

Table 1.

What payments await beneficiaries?

	Monthly payment (RUB)
Heroes of the Soviet Union, Russia, Socialist Labor, holders of 3 Orders of Glory and Labor Glory
Disabled people of the Great Patriotic War
Combatants
Residents of besieged Leningrad (not participants in the war)
Disabled people of group I
Disabled people of group II
Disabled people of group III
Children - disabled and disabled children
Air defense participants

Table 2.

How will the income of pensioners increase as a result of compensation payments?

	Average pension (RUB)	Monthly cash payment (RUB)	Total income will increase
Heroes of the Soviet Union, Russia, Socialist Labor, holders of the Order of Glory, Labor Glory			1.74 times
Disabled people of the Great Patriotic War			1.47 times
Participants of the Great Patriotic War			1.44 times
Combatants			1.53 times
Residents of besieged Leningrad			1.53 times
Military according to clause “z” of the Federal Law “On Veterans”			1.29 times
Participants are against. defense			1.29 times
Disabled people: Group I			1.66 times
			1.64 times
III group			1.79 times
Disabled children			1.74 times
Disabled people (SPC, since childhood, in rural areas)			1.98 times

At the beginning of August 2004, the issue of replacing benefits with cash payments was finally resolved. The results of this decision differ from the original reform plan.

There have been some changes in the list of beneficiaries: Heroes of the USSR, Russia, Socialist Labor and full holders of the Orders of Glory and Labor Glory have been removed from the list of categories that, instead of the canceled in-kind benefits from next year, will receive monthly payments. They decided to retain in-kind benefits in full, and the issue of their status is expected to be resolved in a separate bill, which the government will prepare by the fall.(11)

It was decided to retain the most significant natural benefits. In 2005, discounts on housing and utility bills will continue to apply. In addition, a so-called social package is being introduced, the cost of which - 450 rubles - will be deducted every month from the amount of payment received by the beneficiary. As a result, all beneficiaries whose social support is provided from the federal budget will receive the right to free travel on commuter trips, free medicines (according to the list approved by the government), as well as a sanatorium voucher (for medical reasons).

Next year, everyone will receive a “social package” (and, accordingly, deductions from social payments), regardless of their desire. Over the course of the year, everyone will have to decide what is preferable to them: “in-kind” benefits and reduced payments or full monetary compensation. Applications for this will need to be submitted to local social security authorities or Pension Fund branches before October 1, 2005. It will be possible to refuse the entire package, and only one of the two parts - medical or transport.

The cost of the “transport” part of the social package is estimated at 40 rubles, the price of the “medical” part (medicines plus sanatorium treatment) is 410 rubles. Depending on the choice made by the beneficiary, the amount of social benefits due to him will be adjusted.

The Pension Fund is entrusted with paying compensation amounts - along with the pension. Along with the basic pension (which, according to our legislation, is indexed depending on inflation), social payments will also increase. Moreover, with the same indexation coefficient. Let us remind you that today basic pensions are subject to increase if inflation exceeds 6 percent in a quarter (or six months). As a result, in recent years, basic pensions have been indexed twice a year - in the first quarter and in August. This order will apparently continue in the future.

It is also important that the amount of compensation payments will not be taken into account (will not be included in the calculation of family income) if the beneficiary applies for a state subsidy to pay for utilities.(6)

Table 3.

What happened as a result of the benefits reform?

beneficiaries	What benefits do they have now?	What's on offer since 2005
Disabled war veterans, former prisoners of fascism - disabled people	Travel by city and suburban transport; medicines; housing and communal services; subscription fee for the telephone and its installation; travel by intercity transport; sanatorium vouchers; provision of transport with transfer of driving rights to family members; private security; prosthetics and dentures	2000 rubles
Participants of the Second World War, former prisoners of fascism	Travel by city and suburban transport; medicines; housing and communal services; subscription fee for the telephone and its installation; travel by intercity transport; private security; prosthetics and dentures	1500 rubles
Those who served in the military during the Second World War not in the active army		600 rubles
Siege survivors, combat veterans	Travel by city and suburban transport; medicines; travel by intercity transport; housing and communal services	1100 rubles
Persons who worked at military installations during the Second World War	Travel by city and suburban transport; medicines; travel by intercity transport; prosthetics and dentures	600 rubles
Family members of deceased (deceased) disabled people, participants in war and hostilities	Travel by city and suburban transport; medicines; housing and communal services; telephone subscription fee; private security	600 rubles
Disabled people	Travel by city and suburban transport; medicines; housing and communal services; telephone subscription fee; travel by intercity transport; sanatorium treatment; provision of transport with transfer of driving rights to family members; prosthetics and dentures	Disabled people (III degree) 1400 rubles Disabled people (II degree) 1000 rubles Disabled people (I degree) 800 rubles Disabled children 1000 rubles
Chernobyl victims	Housing and communal services, food, travel by city and suburban transport, travel by intercity transport, medicines, sanatorium treatment, dentures, additional payment for work and accommodation in zones	Up to 1,700 rubles depending on the status of citizen benefits
	Medicines, dental prosthetics, travel by city commuter transport, payment of utilities	500 rubles
Veterans of Labor	Travel by city and suburban transport; housing and communal services; telephone subscription fee	Social support measures are established by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation
Home front workers	Travel by city and suburban transport; medicines; prosthetics and dentures
Repressed	Compensation for property damage, housing and communal services, travel by city and suburban transport, preferential travel on intercity transport once a year, medicine provision, provision of transport, free production and repair of dentures, free telephone installation, forwarding and delivery of monetary compensation

Conclusion

Today, Russia is experiencing global changes in social policy in the country. The reform of social benefits has not yet produced results, so it is too early to talk about the feasibility and correctness of such changes. The bill spells out the norm of constitutional law: after the adoption of the law, the level of social protection of the population cannot be worsened compared to what it is today. It either needs to be maintained or improved.

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