Abstract the most important goals of the social policy of the welfare state. Test. Social policy of the welfare state

social politics state modern

The development of the social structure of society is constantly in need of regulation. The question of social policy arises. It means the targeted influence of the state, trade unions and other public organizations on the existing system of social relations.

The main principles of social policy implementation are:

1) Protecting the standard of living by introducing different forms compensation for price increases and indexation;

2) Providing assistance to the poorest families;

3) Issuance of assistance in case of unemployment;

4) Ensuring social insurance policy, establishing a minimum wage for employees;

5) Development of education, health protection, environment mainly at the expense of the state;

6) Conducting an active policy aimed at ensuring qualifications.

Social politics is one of the main directions domestic policy state, designed to provide the prerequisites for the stability of its social system.

Goals of social policy:

1) Improving and raising the level of living conditions of the population of the country

2) Smoothing or eliminating social contradictions, achieving a certain level of balance in society

3) Increasing wealth and culture

The goals of social policy are carried out by providing state social guarantees, regulating lifestyle with taxes, encouraging charity, entrepreneurial initiative, repressive methods, for example, the fight against drug trafficking; redistribution of material resources and organizational efforts.

The existence in society of the need to achieve social goals and their indirect satisfaction as a result of the activities of the state in the economic and political fields does not yet indicate the existence of a targeted social policy of the state. Actually, social policy as a purposeful activity to achieve social goals is carried out by the state only with the appearance of social functions in it, that is, only when the state assumes direct responsibility and obligations to meet the social needs of citizens. In a concrete understanding of social policy as a purposeful activity of the state in the implementation of its social functions, it is necessary to state that the social policy of the state appears only with the emergence of specific social functions in it. Linking social policy to the social functions of the state suggests that the development of the structure of the social functions of the state is the basis for the structuring of its social policy. With the evolution of the state from its simplest forms to the most complex, there is a corresponding transformation of social policy and its structural elements.

Social policy plays, from the point of view of the functioning of the economic system, a dual role. First, with economic growth, the accumulation of national wealth, the creation of favorable social conditions for citizens becomes the main goal of economic activity, and in this sense, the goals of economic growth are concentrated in social policy; all other aspects economic development are beginning to be seen as a means of implementing social policy.

Secondly, social policy is a factor of economic growth and is not accompanied by an increase in welfare, then people lose incentives for effective economic activity. At the same time, the higher the level of economic development reached, the higher the requirements for people, culture, physical and moral development. In turn, this requires further development of the social sphere.

The implementation of the social functions of the state is carried out through social institutions at different organizational levels. It doesn't have to be government agencies. The subjects of the social policy of the state include competent state bodies (or institutions) that form the social information and legal field, provide material support or provide in-kind types of assistance (social services) to persons in need within the limits of approved federal or territorial guarantees.

Social policy cannot be viewed as an exclusive economic problem. Economic science, as the subject of its research in the field of social policy, focuses on the economic mechanisms of its implementation. In a market economy, these include primarily mechanisms for generating income and maintaining employment.

Social policy is a set of socio-economic measures of the state of enterprises, organizations, local authorities aimed at protecting the population from unemployment, rising prices, etc.

The state social policy provides for the solution of the following tasks:

1) Ensuring equal opportunities in the exercise of the right to education and a share in public welfare through a fair distribution of income and property (capital).

2) Reducing unwanted market-driven disparities between rich and poor in the generation of income and capital.

3) Ensuring greater freedom, justice, respect for human dignity, ensuring the development of the individual, active participation in public life and the right to a share of responsibility to society.

4) Further improvement of the socio-political instruments and provisions governing the existing system in order to ensure basic social rights and expand the social security network.

It should be noted that the possibilities of solving certain tasks of social policy are determined by the resources that the state can direct to their solution. In turn, the resource base depends on the general level of economic development of the country. Therefore, the specific tasks of social policy are closely related to the economic development of the country.

The main goal of social economic policy The governments of the Russian Federation in the long term are to consistently improve the standard of living of the population, reduce social inequality, preserve and increase the cultural values of Russia, restore the economic and political role of the country in the world community. In this regard, an unconditional priority in the field of social policy is investment in people. That is why the outstripping growth of appropriations for these purposes from the budgets of all levels in comparison with most other areas of public spending will be envisaged.

In order to ensure financial stability, the Government of the Russian Federation will implement a consistent financial policy based on bringing the state's obligations in line with its resources, improving the efficiency of the budget system, and clearly delineating budgetary powers and responsibilities of various levels of government. At the same time, together with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, measures will be taken to ensure the stability of the national currency.

The promotion of social goals among the priorities of modern economic development has led to the formation of the social policy of the state. Social politics- this is the activity of the state aimed at providing conditions for the most complete satisfaction of the needs and improving the well-being of the population of the country. Social policy involves the joint activities of the state and trade unions, as well as business structures, public funds, parties, etc.

The main goals of social policy are: mitigation of inequality in the distribution of incomes of the population; ensuring full employment; protecting the health of the nation; environmental Safety; neutralization of the negative consequences of a market economy; ensuring favorable living and working conditions for the entire population of the country; creation of conditions for maintaining social stability.

Accordingly, the following tasks: implementation of employment programs, assistance to the disabled, ensuring accessibility and development of education, medicine, social insurance and culture, implementation of special programs to protect the low-income segments of the population.

Ways to implement the social policy of the state are the system of social protection and social guarantees. Social protection is a system of measures taken by society to ensure the sustainability of the socially normal material and social situation of its citizens. Social guarantees represent a system of society's obligations to its members for a certain satisfaction of a number of their necessary needs.

The following social policy measures are relevant for the Republic of Belarus:

Creation of a targeted system of social protection;

Streamlining benefits, allowances and additional payments paid at the expense of enterprises, organizations and firms by including them in tariff rates and official salaries;

Introduction of tax and credit benefits for enterprises and firms that create additional jobs and employ women with many children, disabled people, youth;

Clarification of the cost of the “consumer basket”, taking into account the dynamics of prices, wages and world practice;

Regular revision of the minimum wage in the national economy due to rising prices;

Development of insurance medicine.

14. Modern world economy Questions

14.1 World economy. The main forms of international economic relations

14.2 International economic integration

14.3 The concept and types of foreign economic policy

14.4 Currency relations: concept and types. Currency systems

14.1 World economy. The main forms of international economic relations

world economy is a set of national economies united by participation in the international division of labor and connected by a system of international economic relations.

The objective basis for the development of the world economy is the international division of labor. The division of labor is based on the specialization of countries in the production of certain types of products. The exchange of products of specialization is a necessary condition for the process of reproduction. The international division of labor is due to the following reasons: natural and climatic differences; the geographical position of the countries; variety of socio-economic conditions.

The main forms of international economic relations (relations) are:

International trade;

International migration of capital;

International migration work force;

International production and scientific and technical cooperation;

Currency relations in the world economy.

International trade.International (world) trade is the trade in goods and services on a global scale. World trade is characterized by the following indicators: export, import, trade balance, foreign trade turnover, export quota.

Export is the export of goods and services abroad. Import is the importation of goods and services from abroad.

Trade balance is the difference between exports and imports of goods. The trade balance can be active or passive. Active trade balance is reached when exports exceed imports. Passive A trade balance occurs when imports exceed exports. In the case of a passive trade balance, the country has an external debt to foreign suppliers. It is the passive trade balance that is a chronic problem for the Republic of Belarus

Foreign trade turnover is the combined value of exports and imports, expressed at the same price scale.

Export quota shows the ratio of the value of exports to the value of GDP. If the export quota exceeds 25%, then the country's economy is recognized as dependent on the world market. In the Republic of Belarus, the export quota is in the range of 50% - 60%.

International migration of capital. International capital migration is a system of relations regulating the import of loan capital from abroad and the export of loan capital abroad.

Import of loan capital due either to the need for rapid stabilization of the national financial and banking systems, or the need for accelerated modernization of the national economy.

Export of loan capital pursues the following goals: increase in the mass of profits; preservation and expansion of sales markets. The export of loan capital is carried out in the form of investments and loans.

Investments are divided into straight and portfolio. Investments in foreign enterprises, providing control over them by the investor, are called direct investment(creation of branches, subsidiaries, joint ventures abroad). Portfolio investments- this is capital investment in securities for the purpose of generating income, and not establishing control over the economic activities of a foreign enterprise.

International loans is provided either to a foreign government or to foreign entrepreneurs for the implementation of their investment projects.

For foreign borrowers, loans are more attractive than investments, because they do not reduce the degree of their control over enterprises. However, loans, unlike investments, create the problem of debt dependence on external creditors for the recipient country.

International labor migration.International labor migration is the movement of the working population from one country to another. There are two aspects of labor migration: emigration and immigration. Emigration- movement of a part of labor resources across national borders. Immigration- the influx of labor resources from abroad.

The main reasons for labor migration are economic, i.e. unemployment and national differences in wage levels. Import of high quality labor force allows to save money on training specialists, increase the competitiveness of goods. However, the receiving countries (recipients) are faced with an aggravation of the problem of employment, a deterioration in the economic situation of their own workers, and an aggravation of social conflicts.

For donor countries, international labor migration contributes to the inflow of foreign currency into the country (annually India, Indonesia, Turkey receive 2-3 billion dollars in the form of money transfers by emigrants to their homeland), new technologies, the accumulation of work experience, changes in the professional and qualification structure of employment, reduces the severity of the employment problem.

International industrial and scientific and technical cooperation. The most common form of international relations in the field of science and technology is the commercial exchange of scientific and technical knowledge. The main forms of such an exchange include:

Trade in licenses. License- this is a permission issued by the patent owner (licensor) to another person or firm (licensee) for the industrial and commercial use of the invention for a specified period for a certain fee;

Engineering. Engineering- provision of technological knowledge necessary for the acquisition, installation and use of purchased or rented machinery and equipment);

Leasing. Leasing- long-term lease of machinery and equipment, vehicles, industrial facilities and other facilities with subsequent redemption at the residual value. The rental form of export of machinery and equipment is economically beneficial for both parties: the lessee gets the opportunity to use expensive equipment without large initial capital investments, the lessor expands sales with a relative reduction in the risk of losses from the insolvency of the customer.

currency relations. In connection with the existence of national price scales, the problem of uniformly measuring the prices of goods produced in different countries arises. Currency is a national currency that can measure the currencies of other countries. The development of world trade requires the use of certain currency systems, the features of which will be discussed below.

Social policy is a very broad and multifaceted phenomenon. If the goal of social policy is to achieve social efficiency, then in a broad sense social policy can be considered as a way to meet social needs, and in a narrow sense it can be reduced to resolving contradictions in the social sphere, a tool that mitigate the negative consequences of individual and social inequality.

Social policy - the policy of the state, society, political parties, social institutions in relation to public welfare, meeting the material, social, intellectual needs of people, creating an environment of stability.

At the same time, social policy can be defined both as a tool that allows creating conditions for the self-realization of all citizens of the country, preserving its cultural and historical values, and as one of the leading directions of the state development strategy, the concept of social development. It should be realized that before the state turns to the solution of certain problems in a particular area of the social sphere, the general tasks and prospects for its development must be determined. In other words, social policy is a factor in the development of both the state and society.

The goals of social policy are quite easily derived from the definition of the concept of politics in its narrow sense and are defined as the creation of conditions for better satisfaction of the material and spiritual needs of all social groups and as strengthening the social justice of the system of economic, political, legal, moral relations. The main goal of social policy is to increase the level and quality of life of the country's population.

Pursuing the goal of raising the standard of living of the population, social policy covers 4 main sectors of society:

a) demography (natural reproduction of the population);

b) labor (labor market, employment, training and retraining, personnel, conditions and labor protection, social partnership);

c) personal income (wages, pensions, allowances, etc.);

d) social infrastructure (housing, schools, preschool institutions, healthcare and cultural institutions, etc.).

In a modern developed society, there is a growing trend towards the development of public institutions serving self-regulation and self-organization of society. Such institutions are an important element of civil society, and their support is a characteristic feature of an "effective" state. A civilly mature society is able not only to supplement the social efforts of the state, but also to carry out their adjustment, the necessary control over them in civilized, non-violent forms.

Assuming that social policy is oriented towards the formation information society, then it must inevitably contribute to the implementation of the following tasks:

1) the rapid growth of human potential as a condition for helping the productive life of members of society;

2) the formation of a new middle class as the defining social force of society and the main bearer of the human potential of the nation;

3) the development of civil society and the rule of law as an indispensable condition for the expanded reproduction of human potential.

So, the subjects of social policy are really independent and, at the same time, actually functioning social groups and the bodies, organizations, institutions, and structures that represent them.

Revealing the essence of social policy requires consideration of its features and functions. The indicators or signs of this category are:

1) objectivity;

2) statehood;

3) multi-subjectivity and objectivity;

4) solidary (redistributive) nature of relations;

5) the concrete historical nature of the relationship.

Recognizing that social policy is the most important part of the activities of society and the state, most modern states rely on the following principles as the basis of their activities, or at least the basis of their political declarations: the principle of social justice; the principle of individual social responsibility; the principle of social solidarity; the principle of social partnership; the principle of social compensation; the principle of social guarantees; the principle of subsidiarity (support).

The principles of social policy, for the most part, were developed in the process of organizing the development of society and acquired new content in the course of developing the foundations of an effective state. At present, two principles should be the highest priority: social solidarity and individual social responsibility.

It should be noted that the features of the current state of Russian society determine the seven main principles of the Russian social doctrine, which determine the social concept of the country's development, its social policy and the corresponding action programs:

1. The optimal combination of liberalism and social guarantees. In a historical situation, when the relevant prerequisites have not yet been formed and a significant part of the population is not able to adequately respond to the difficulties of the transition period, the pursuit of a purely liberal policy, as the Russian experience has shown, leads to a social crisis, to blocking social adaptation, to disorientation. individual groups citizens and, as a result, to its intensive marginalization.

2. A radical increase in labor motivation, focused on all groups in general and each segment of the population - separately. The social development paradigm proceeds from the fact that the locomotive of economic dynamics is able-bodied citizens with qualified labor potential, high social activity and mobility, the ability to legally adapt to the prevailing conditions and implement effective models of their activities.

3. The central place among social institutions today is occupied by the family, which has a decisive influence not only on the demographic processes in society, but also on the state of social capital. It is organically interconnected with the family, through the formation of human health.

4. Activation of local self-government and civil society organizations (charitable structures and social initiatives). Along with the reliance on the family, social policy is called upon to support the restoration and renewal of specialized institutions based on the values of freedom, human solidarity and mutual assistance.

5. The fifth principle concerns the interaction of federal and regional efforts, the cardinal problem of which is the definition of their mutual responsibility.

6. Accounting for gender and national-ethnic aspects of the state of the population. Specific steps and stages of transformation of the social sphere provide for correlation with gender asymmetry and the state of individual ethnic groups in the country.

7. Finally, one should take into account the technologies for building a social program of action, as well as the development of strategies and tactics within the framework of social policy. We are talking about the separation of events in time.

The basis of social policy should be the support of strong, viable groups and the protection of the weak, unadapted, who do not have sufficient means to successfully exist in the harsh conditions of a market economy. At the same time, one of the important points of the development strategy is the focus on increasing professionalism, dedication, and showing the initiative of citizens.

V Lately The Council of Europe is considering a strategy for social cohesion in the 21st century: Member States must adopt the idea of social cohesion as a concrete and active policy area, putting it at the center of their development models. The goal of such a policy should be an active, just and socially cohesive society in which the policy of economic development and the policy of social development work in tandem.

In general, no matter what historical conditions a social policy takes place, no matter what its historical type is, there is always a circle of more or less similar, constant, typical, recurring problems that constitute its real content.

Defining the functions of social policy from the standpoint of its role in the development of society (human potential), the following areas of social policy of the modern state are usually distinguished:

1. Ensuring social security.

2. Ensuring the political stability of power.

3. Ensuring such a distribution of power in the economy (property), which would be recognized by the majority as fair.

4. Establishing a system of distribution of economic resources and economic effect that more or less suits the vast majority of the population.

5. Providing society and the state with the necessary and sufficient level of environmental safety.

6. Providing society and the state with the necessary and sufficient level of social protection for both the population as a whole and each of its social groups.

As for the Russian Federation, the Constitution adopted in Russia in 1993 in Article 7 proclaimed: “The Russian Federation is a social state whose policy is aimed at creating conditions that ensure decent life and the free development of man. In contrast to this provision, the statement of the President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev about the need for Russia's transition to an "effective state" through a comprehensive modernization based on the values and institutions of democracy, the activation of civil society.

Issues for discussion

1. Define social policy.

2. What do you see as the changes that should take place in the social policy of modern Russia?

3. Name the main goal and functions of social policy.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education
"Tula State University"

Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of Sociology and Political Science

ESSAY
by discipline
"FOUNDATIONS OF THE WELFARE STATE"
on the topic of:
"The most important goals of the social policy of the welfare state"

Performed:
student gr. 820171

Tula 2018

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….3

1.1 The history of the formation of social policy…………………………………… 5
1.2 The essence of social policy: main goals, principles, functions ...... 6
Chapter 2 Characteristics of social policy

2.1 The most important goals and objectives of social policy……………………..…...12

2.2 Levels of implementation of social policy goals……..…………...…..14

2.3 Mechanisms for developing social policy goals and their implementation….. 17

Chapter 3 Social Policy in Russia: Today and Tomorrow

3.2 The goals of the social policy of the future of Russia……………………….…….22

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….….25
Bibliographic list…………………………………………………...….26

Introduction
Depending on the sphere of public relations, in the modern world, the domestic policy of states has different directions. Scientists are accustomed to single out economic, social, national, demographic, environmental policy and many others. One of the most important parts of domestic policy is social policy, which is reflected in its social programs and practices. It is the regulator of socio-economic relations in society in the interests and through the interests of the main social groups of the population.
The definition of "social policy" should include the group of problems that allows you to find out the following: the relationship between social policy and general policy; its specificity as a direction of political leadership of society; characterization of those social phenomena and processes that are the object of the impact of social policy; functions, types of social policy and trends in their development in the modern world.

In a broad sense, the concept of "social policy" has been used for a long time and covers all aspects of public life. It is one of the directions of state policy; determined by the nature state structure, goals pursued by the state; is formed in the context of the social structure of society; also reflects the state social doctrine or the concept of the country's social development; is inextricably linked with the ongoing economic policy and depends on it (in the economy, the resources necessary for the implementation of social policy are created); consists of a system of measures for the distribution of society's resources in the interests of society as a whole;
In a narrow sense, “social policy” is considered as a kind of general policy, which has its own specifics, and hence its own object of influence.
The entire complex mechanism for its implementation is oriented towards the fulfillment of the goals and objectives of social policy, which is structurally presented as follows.
The main subject of social policy is the state, represented by the totality of all its bodies focused on the regulation of social relations. For example, government departments and institutions; local governments; o off-budget funds; public, religious, charitable or other non-state associations; commercial structures and business.
The object of social policy is almost the entire population of the country (with an emphasis on social protection of low-income categories of the population in difficult life situation). From another point of view, the object of social policy is the very social processes in society in all their content diversity and various forms of manifestation.

Under the subject of social policy, it is customary to understand the properties, patterns, meaningful relations of society, as well as the processes and forms of social practice, which represent the interaction of social groups about their social position.
Closely related to the analysis of the essence of social policy is the question of its social function, the debate about which continues to this day. Initially, it was believed that social policy performs the function of a "regulator of labor and consumption." Subsequently, the "function of improving the welfare of the people" and "the function of providing social services to the population" were added to this function. In recent decades, the trends are such that the scope and content of the function of social policy throughout the world are expanding.
The purpose of my work is to search for and study the most important tasks that the social policy of the welfare state sets for itself.
In accordance with the goal, I set a number of tasks for the most complete disclosure of the topics of the abstract:
-study of the functions and details of social policy;

Analysis of the main goals of the state social policy;

Review and familiarization with the modern social policy of Russia.

Due to the fact that the process of creating a civil society has its own specific features, the problem of a developed social structure and a well-functioning social policy of the state is the most relevant and acute at the present time.

Chapter 1 Theoretical Foundations for the Study of Social Policy and the Welfare State
1.1 The history of the formation of social policy
The first thoughts about the relationship between the state and society arose in ancient times. One of the first thinkers of Antiquity was Aristotle and Plato. Their writings were devoted to ideas about social justice and equality. Plato considered the ideal state, where each person does his own thing, and work is obligatory to achieve the well-being of the entire population. According to Plato's ideas, property should be common, since its private nature leads to inequality and conflicts. According to Aristotle, the state exists for the purpose of achieving social well-being, it is this goal that unites people into society. The first measures of social policy are carried out already in the second half of the first millennium of our era as a result of the appearance of masses of poor people after the collapse of the Roman Empire. During this period, charitable activities are carried out by monasteries and churches, which provide social support to the poor in an amount depending on their social status.
In the Middle Ages, the church retained the provision of education for the population, as well as the provision of shelter and hot meals. Thus, we can say that all the instruments of social policy were in the hands of the church. For quite a long time the situation did not change, just like the situation of poor people. The 17th century was marked by industrial revolutions in Europe, which attracted a significant number of rural residents to manufactories and factories. At the same time, wage growth did not correspond to rising prices, which led to an aggravation of the social situation. In order to relieve the severity of social conflicts, the state has made itself responsible for workers and their standard of living.
The development of industrial society marked the beginning of the development of social policy institutions, drawing the attention of the state to the social problems of society. The difficulty in developing social policy instruments in the form of social support for the needy was the unwillingness of the rich to share their income in the form of a tax, the funds of which were directed to social support, which caused unrest among the working population. As a result, states begin to adopt the first regulations in the field of work and life of workers, which allows us to talk about the emergence and formation of social legislation:
In 1834, a law on the poor was adopted, "workhouses" were distributed, and the actions of trade unions were legalized.
In 1897, a program for the protection of workers' rights was adopted in Europe, and later the International Association for the Protection of Workers was created.
V late XXI century in Germany, Bismarck undertook a whole series of normative acts in the field of social insurance, he introduced the concept of occupational labor risks, created an alliance of social policy, which was engaged in the study of topical social problems.
In 1919, the International Labor Organization was created, which gave social policy an international level.
Further, International organizations in the field of social care and social services are being created.
The Second World War had a huge impact on the development of social policy. During this period, existing social problems have worsened in many countries, which has caused an increase in the population in need of social assistance.
The basic principles of the modern social policy of all states were laid down in international acts of the postwar period. So, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted, proclaiming the basic social rights of man. Following it, the main conventions and recommendations of the International Labor Organization are adopted.
By the beginning of the 20th century, the following approaches to understanding social policy had been formed: the civil approach of T. Marshall, according to which the state must guarantee a minimum social support for a person for his normal functioning in society; functional approach of T. Parsons, according to which the participation of the state in social policy is necessary to resolve social conflicts in society; the Marxist approach of K. Marx, the idea of general welfare is a factor supporting the development of the capitalist state. In the twentieth century, the main models of social policy were formed, among which the Scandinavian model, the Anglo-Saxon model and the continental one can be distinguished. Two approaches to social policy were also formed: State paternalism, which implies the full responsibility of the state for the social security of the population and the level and quality of its life, state financing of social support measures. The liberal approach, which consists in the responsibility of the strong for taking care of the weak and creating favorable conditions for the development of the strong.
1.2 The essence of social policy: the main goals, principles and functions ...
Conclusion
The social life of society in the last period has gone in two directions. On the one hand, there was a freedom to choose goods and services, their forms. But on the other hand, all these social benefits are not available to the vast majority of the country's inhabitants. Such phenomena as poverty, obvious unemployment, insecurity in old age, and refugees have become widespread. These phenomena were not clearly visible under the old political system. Allowances and various kinds of payments and subsidies do not correct the situation.
All these and other phenomena of the social life of the country have a negative impact on the economic and political situation of the state. Thus, it becomes obvious that for the normal functioning of a socially oriented market economy and the successful creation of an effective social protection mechanism, it is necessary to immediately adopt and strictly implement regulatory and legislative acts aimed at increasing employment and providing the state with social support for the population. Therefore, social policy sets itself the most important goals, with the help of which serious problems will be solved on the way to the formation of a social state not only in Russia, but throughout the world.
It should be noted that social policy has such positive development trends as increasing the quantity and, most importantly, the quality of human potential. In addition, the increase in the level of well-being, overcoming unemployment, and increasing life expectancy, which is largely related to the above, will be of no small importance in the future. It should also be noted the importance of the direction associated with the improvement living conditions, which, as the analysis showed, worsen every year. The direction of support for motherhood and childhood is also closely related to the development of human potential. This is due to the fact that the education of "tomorrow's" personnel must be dealt with today.
Russia historically has the largest spiritual potential in the world. However, our cultural and intellectual heritage, accumulated by the labor and talent of dozens of generations, is used very badly, plundered, and depleted.
After considering and analyzing the tasks that the social policy of the welfare state has, the conclusion suggests itself that for its normal functioning and development it is already necessary to take more concrete, serious steps and implement projects that can change the situation in this area of society.

Bibliographic list
1. Alekseev Yu.P., Berestova L.I., Bobkov V.N. Social Policy: A Textbook for High Schools / Ed. Volgina N.A. - M.: Exam, 2009. - 736 p.

2. Akhinov G.A., Kalashnikov S.V. Social politics: Tutorial. – M.: Infra-M, 2009. – 524 p.

3. Volgin N.A. Social politics. Encyclopedia. - M.: Alfa-Press, 2008. - 416 p.

4. Constitution of the Russian Federation: scientific and practical commentary. / Edited by Academician B.N. Topornina. - M .: Lawyer, 2000.

5. Muhudadaev M.O. Social policy and education. Digest of articles. - Ed. S.I. Angelica. - St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg Philosophical Society, 2004.

6. S.S. Smirnov, N. A. Isaev. "Social politics. New Deal”: “Economic Issues”, 1999

7. Smirnov S.N., Sidorov T.Yu. Social politics. - M.: Higher School of Economics, 2008. - 432 p.

8. Social policy and social work in Changing Russia / Ed. Yarskoy - Smirnova E., Romanova P. - M; INION-RAN, 2002.

Introduction

Chapter 1 Social Policy of the State

1.1 Main tasks and goals of social policy

1.2 The concept of a social good

1.3 Main directions of social policy implementation

1.3.1 Social insurance

1.3.2 Social protection in the field of employment

1.3.3 Social wage policy

1.3.4 Social policy in the labor market

1.3.5 Housing policy

1.3.6 Social policy in the field of education

1.3.7 Social health policy

Chapter 2. Analysis of the real situation

Chapter 3. Improving the social policy of the state

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The internal policy of the state is divided into various directions depending on the sphere of social relations into which it invades. In this sense, economic, social, national, demographic, environmental, etc. policies are singled out. One of the most important parts of domestic policy is social policy, embodied in its social programs and practices, regulating socio-economic relations in society in the interests and through the interests of the main social groups of the population.

The definition of "social policy" should include the group of problems that allows you to find out the following: the relationship between social policy and general policy; its specificity as a direction of political leadership of society; characterization of those social phenomena and processes that are the object of the impact of social policy; functions, types of social policy and trends in their development in the modern world.

In a broader interpretation, the concept of "social policy" has been used for a long time and covers all aspects of public life. All political activity in this case is considered as social. In this sense, social policy is identical to politics in general.

In a narrow sense, the concept of "social policy" is considered as a kind of general policy, which has its own specifics, and hence its own object of influence.

The object of social policy is the social sphere of society, which can be viewed as a process of functioning and development of man and society. All the constituent elements of society, be it a social group or an individual, are included in the social sphere in their own way, occupying their special position in society. Members of society, social groups and communities constantly interact with each other in various forms, i.e. are in a relationship about their position, role in society, living conditions, lifestyle and way of life. These social relations constitute the content of the social sphere. Consequently, if the object of social policy is the social sphere, then its subject is, first of all, the institutions of the political system - the state, parties, trade unions and other socio-political associations.

Of course, political institutions have a different impact on the development of the social sphere. The limits of this impact depend on many circumstances: on the functions of political institutions in the political system of society, the extent of their application, on the objective needs of the development of the social sphere, etc.

Closely related to the analysis of the essence of social policy is the question of its social function, the debate about which continues to this day. Initially, it was believed that social policy performs the function of "the regulator of labor and consumption." Subsequently, the “function of improving the welfare of the people” and “the function of providing social services to the population” were added to this function. In recent decades, the trends are such that the scope and content of the function of social policy throughout the world are expanding.

The purpose of the course work is to study the social policy of the state.

In accordance with the goal in this work, the following interrelated tasks have been solved:

Studying the main aspects and functions of social policy;

Analysis of modern social policy in Russia;

Familiarization with the main tasks aimed at improving the social policy of the state.

The process of creating a civil society has its own specific features. For its appearance, it is necessary to have a developed social structure and a well-functioning social policy of the state.

Chapter 1. Social policy of the state

1.1 Main tasks and goals of social policy

The development of the social structure of society is constantly in need of regulation. The question of social policy arises. It means the purposeful influence of the state, trade unions and other public organizations on the existing system of social relations.

The main principles of social policy implementation are:

1) protection of the standard of living by introducing various forms of compensation for price increases and indexation;

2) providing assistance to the poorest families;

3) issuance of assistance in case of unemployment;

4) ensuring the policy of social insurance, setting the minimum wage for employees;

5) development of education, protection of health, environment, mainly at the expense of the state;

6) conducting an active policy aimed at ensuring qualifications.

Social policy is one of the main directions of the internal policy of the state, designed to provide prerequisites for the stability of its social system.

Goals of social policy:

Improving and raising the standard of living of the population of the country

Smoothing or eliminating social contradictions, achieving a certain level of balance in society

Increasing wealth and culture

The goals of social policy are implemented through the provision of state social guarantees, regulation of lifestyle by taxes, encouragement of charity, entrepreneurial initiative, repressive methods, for example, the fight against drug trafficking; redistribution of material resources and organizational efforts.

Social policy plays, from the point of view of the functioning of the economic system, a dual role.

First, with economic growth, the accumulation of national wealth, the creation of favorable social conditions for citizens becomes the main goal of economic activity, and in this sense, the goals of economic growth are concentrated in social policy; all other aspects of economic development are beginning to be seen as means of implementing social policy.

Secondly, social policy is a factor in economic growth and is not accompanied by an increase in welfare, then people lose incentives for effective economic activity. At the same time, the higher the level of economic development reached, the higher the requirements for people, culture, physical and moral development. In turn, this requires further development of the social sphere.

Social policy cannot be seen as an exclusively economic problem. Economic science, as the subject of its research in the field of social policy, focuses on the economic mechanisms of its implementation. In a market economy, these include primarily mechanisms for generating income and maintaining employment.

Social policy is a set of socio-economic measures by the state of enterprises, organizations, local authorities aimed at protecting the population from unemployment, rising prices, etc.

The problem of social protection of the population is solved in different ways within the framework of a particular socio-economic formation, a particular country.

To ensure such protection, the state must, first of all, establish by law the basic social guarantees, the mechanism for their implementation, and the functions of providing social support.

Next to the state, social protection is provided by enterprises (or entrepreneurs) and employees themselves - their trade union organizations.

In the system of social protection of the population, the most important element is social insurance, which includes pension, medical, insurance against unemployment and industrial accidents.

An extremely important link in the system of social protection of the population is the indexation of monetary incomes, respectively, to the price level. It is used in all developed countries. In some countries, some unions have sought full compensation for price increases.

The main goal of the socio-economic policy of the Government of the Russian Federation in the long term is the consistent improvement of the living standards of the population, the reduction of social inequality, the preservation and enhancement of Russia's cultural values, and the restoration of the country's economic and political role in the world community.

In this regard, an unconditional priority in the field of social policy is investment in people. That is why the outstripping growth of appropriations for these purposes from the budgets of all levels in comparison with most other areas of public spending will be envisaged.

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The concept of social good

All functional activities of the state are aimed at achieving the general goal: the good of man, his moral, material and physical well-being, maximum legal and social security of the individual. The state must always act as the supreme guardian and protector of the legitimate interests of the individual. Through the individual, the state promotes social progress as a whole, improves and enriches the entire system of social relations.

The social function of the state is designed to ensure the social security of the individual, normal living conditions for all members of society, regardless of their direct participation in the production of goods.

In a state governed by the rule of law, the distribution of material goods is also carried out in addition to the free equivalent exchange between producers and consumers. Its social policy assumes, firstly, the distribution of social benefits, regardless of labor contribution, in the chains of ensuring a decent standard of living for those who, due to various objective reasons, cannot fully work (sick, disabled, elderly people, students, children).

Secondly, the state allocates the necessary funds for health care, cultural recreation, education, housing construction, efficient transport and communications. This ensures the proper implementation of the rights of citizens to health care, to rest, to housing, to education, to the use of cultural achievements, that is, those social rights that all citizens of the state should enjoy to the maximum extent.

The concept of social good as a sociological category expresses everything that really corresponds to the objective, natural needs of human existence, the satisfaction of which creates the necessary conditions for its progressive development. The substantially predetermined complexity of this being is such that the ideal well-being of life, well-being is practically unattainable. However, there are elementary, vitally important foundations of human existence, without which it is generally impossible and in the constitutive consolidation of which law plays a generating, fateful role. Social benefits secured by law acquire normative significance, general legal value, guaranteed protection and protection.

Russia traditionally belongs to the type of states with a strong role of the state in the social sphere. If we do not talk about lower material and institutional levels, then the system of social guarantees and social protection of the population that has developed in Russia at the beginning economic transformation, generally consistent with the principles of the social market economy. But from the point of view of the criteria of a market economy, the social role of the state was excessively paternalistic, although it ensured the satisfaction of a wide range of comprehensively regulated needs, but it constrained personal initiative and suppressed the desire of citizens to solve their own welfare problems on their own.

The standard of living of the population is understood as the level of consumption of material goods (the provision of the population with industrial consumer goods, food, housing, etc.). To assess the standard of living, such indicators are used as the consumption of basic products per capita, the provision of these products per family (usually, the indicator of provision per 100 families is used).

Of no small importance for assessing the standard of living are indicators of the structure of consumption (for example, what is the share of the most biologically valuable products in the structure of food consumption).

To get a real picture of the standard of living, it is necessary to have a starting point. This is the "consumer basket", which includes a set of goods and services that provide a certain level of consumption. In this regard, the "minimum level of consumption" and "rational level of consumption" are distinguished.

The first is understood as such a consumer set, the reduction of which puts the consumer beyond the bounds of providing normal conditions his existence. This is where the so-called "poverty line" passes. At the same time, one should not confuse the “minimum level of consumption” with the “physical level of consumption”, below which a person simply cannot exist physically. The proportion of the population below the "poverty line" is one of the most important indicators characterizing the standard of living in a given country.

"Rational level of consumption" reflects the amount and structure of consumption that is most favorable for the individual. The corresponding value for assessing the standard of living is statistics that are close to such a consumer.

Much more difficult to assess is the indicator of the quality of life of the population. We are talking about such indicators that are difficult for quantitative assessments, such as working conditions and safety, the state of the environment, the availability and possibility of using free time, the physical and property security of citizens, etc. Here, integral sociological assessments are required that have more qualitative than quantitative certainty. .

It should also be noted that assessments of the level and quality of life change in time and space. What 20-30 years ago was considered as a high standard of living, today can only slightly exceed the "poverty line". What looks like poverty for a European may be the most rational way of life for the indigenous people of Africa or the Arctic.

Thus, any comparison of the level and quality of life, especially in the international aspect, must certainly take into account the above circumstances.

In this regard, let us note that Russia for at least another decade will be in a rather difficult situation, when the social expectations of the population are significantly overestimated compared to the economic capabilities of society. Hence the danger of sharp social conflicts is great. Therefore, the choice of directions and mechanisms for the implementation of social policy for Russia is now of particular importance.

1.3 Main directions of social policy implementation

1.3.1 Social insurance

The practice of social policy in developed countries has developed several directions for its implementation. These include: social insurance, social protection of workers, wage policy, social measures in the labor market, housing policy1, etc.

Social insurance- the most important part of the social policy of the state and the main element of social protection of the population. The purpose of the social insurance system is to provide a person with economic protection in case of illness and old age, in connection with accidents and illnesses due to work-related reasons, in connection with unemployment. During the production process, workers may lose (for a number of objective reasons) the opportunity to continue working. In doing so, he loses his source of income. There are two possibilities for solving the problem that has arisen in this case. The first is the payment of a certain amount for damage caused to health. However, the lump-sum allowance does not give him the material opportunity to exist for a long time. Therefore, the second way is preferable: social insurance.

For the first time, the system of state social insurance was created in Germany at the end of the 19th century. with the adoption of the law on insurance against accidents and sickness (1883 - 1884), on the introduction of old-age and disability pensions (1889), then in Austria, Denmark, France, Great Britain and other countries.

There are two forms of insurance - compulsory and voluntary. The latter operates on the basis of insurance legislation, as well as mandatory, but is voluntary and is regulated by an insurance contract (insurance coverage and other conditions are determined by agreement of the parties).

In modern conditions, in terms of its scale and degree of development, the main type of social insurance in developed countries is pension provision. The state regulates the conditions for assigning pensions (age, insurance or work experience, duration of citizenship), the principle of determining the amount of pensions (fixed, minimum, dependent on earnings) and the procedure for the formation of funds. They are formed at the expense of state subsidies, social taxes on employers, contributions of the insured.

Another type of social insurance providing social protection is state social unemployment insurance. In the market economy countries introduced in 20-30 years. 20th century The appointment of unemployment benefits is associated with the fulfillment of a number of requirements that significantly limit the circle of persons to whom it can be paid. An employee applying for benefits must have a certain length of service, receive necessary minimum salary for a certain period (quarter, year). The duration of the qualifying period in different countries is not the same, as well as the duration of the payment of benefits. A significant proportion of unemployment benefits payments falls on the state.

The social insurance system is based on certain principles. First, it has a legal basis. Secondly, it is mandatory for persons working at risk (however, insurance can be carried out on a voluntary basis). Thirdly, the social insurance system provides for the participation of the state in financing the relevant payments. This is done either in the form of a reduction in the amounts paid by the workers themselves, or by increasing the benefits offered by the state. Fourth, the social insurance system is oriented primarily towards helping economically weak members of society. Even modest economic growth creates favorable conditions for expanding the tax base and making contributions to social insurance funds, helps reduce unemployment and increases access to social assistance systems. Moreover, social peace in society, stable and friendly relations between employees and employers, achieved with the help of social insurance, act along with labor and capital as the third factor of production.

1.3.2 Social protection in the field of employment

Employment, unlike labor, is not an activity, but social relations - economic and legal - regarding the inclusion of an employee in a certain labor cooperation at a certain workplace. As long as the worker continues to remain in one or another subsystem of the economic complex, these relations are continuous. So, in order to be considered employed, it is enough for a person to have a connection with some kind of workplace - to be a member of some kind of production team, to work in the order of individual labor activity, private entrepreneurship, etc. The status of an employed person does not depend at all on whether a person is currently working, playing sports or relaxing.

State policy in the field social protection of the employed based on the inequality of the parties in the labor market. The employee is weak compared to the employer, because he does not own the means of production and is forced to sell his labor power. State actions in this area should be aimed at providing financial support to workers in case of damage to the health of the latter or in other cases. To this end, the state is developing legal norms that ensure the creation of a system of contracts between employees and employers. The state, carrying out such measures, proceeds from the fact that in social relations between them it should be not just about buying and selling goods, but about the social status of the individual. Specific mechanisms for the social protection of workers and the entire population should be developed systems of social insurance, supplemented by systems of state social assistance, and an increase in the personal responsibility of the people themselves. In turn, developed social insurance systems are able to provide positive influence on the state of the economy and the social status of workers due to the redistribution of income, active stimulation of savings of the population, and an increase in its purchasing power.

Only effective employment creates a material basis for the implementation of any social programs. Therefore, increasing economic efficiency and employment productivity should become a top priority not only for employment policy, but for economic policy as a whole. V last years Employment efficiency in Russia is declining catastrophically.

The problem of employment is one of the acute social problems. Therefore, social policy in relation to the labor market occupies a special place in state regulation. The state legislates the conditions of employment and the general conditions for concluding collective labor agreements. The state takes upon itself the organization of the system of education, vocational training and retraining of workers. Due to state subsidies, the mobility of workers is encouraged, the development of small and medium-sized businesses is stimulated, and benefits are provided to entrepreneurs who create new jobs.

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During periods of crisis, the state resorts to the use of public works. State influence on labor markets is also carried out through the implementation of a migration policy that regulates the inflow and outflow of foreign labor.

Along with this goal contemporary politics employment is also a solution to problems special groups working population (elderly people, disabled people, women, youth, foreigners).

1.3.3 Social wage policy

Social policy in the region wages should be implemented differently. Regulatory intervention is carried out mainly in cases where the degree of professional training of the employee is low, and his position in confrontation with the employer is relatively weak. This applies mainly to those types labor processes that require unskilled labor. In relation to such categories of the population, the minimum wage is fixed.

With the help of laws, the state also determines the mode of remuneration (every two weeks or monthly, for example).

In some cases, wage policy provides for the introduction of a ceiling level and maintaining this level for a certain time. There are also restrictions on wage growth rates. These measures are applied to prevent inflation. On the other hand, in order to reduce the negative consequences of inflation, and above all the rise in prices, developed countries use the mechanism of wage indexation. The order of indexing is different. It can be of a national nature, or it can be fixed in agreements concluded within the framework of social partnership (between entrepreneurs, trade unions and the state). Indexation can be carried out at the level of firms or individual industries and fixed in collective agreements entrepreneurs and trade unions.

The amount of indexed wages is different. Full indexation can be carried out on the minimum wage, then indexation begins to be partial, which helps to curb inflation.

It should be noted, however, that low wages do not mean automatic poverty. Thus, it is estimated that only about 20% of families with low-paid workers, and only 25% of families of workers with very low wages, fall into poverty. This means that there are other important determinants of poverty. In particular, almost 35% of the working-age poor are unemployed, followed by the underpaid, then those outside the economically active population, and finally those with wage arrears.

The situation in Russia is complicated by the fact that a large number of low-paid jobs are shrinking very slowly, and the shortage of new well-paid jobs remains acute.

1.3.4 Social policy in the labor market

Social policy applied to the labor market connected, first of all, with the ability of the state to influence the demand for labor. In addition, the impact on this market is due to the adjustment of legal norms regarding the use of foreign labor in the country. Regulation can also be carried out by reducing the access of certain groups of workers to the labor market (for example, by reducing the retirement age). It also has a very serious impact on this market by taking over the organization and financing of the system of retraining workers in connection with structural changes in the economy.

The state policy in this area makes especially clear the transition of the net unemployment insurance system to the search for preventive measures to prevent possible difficulties in labor activity and in the labor market.

Social policy in relation to the market is associated primarily with the ability of the state to influence the demand for labor. In addition, the impact on this market is due to the adjustment of legal norms regarding the use of foreign labor in the country. Regulation can also be carried out by reducing the access of certain groups of workers to the labor market (for example, by reducing the retirement age). In addition, the state can influence the labor market by informing the interested authorities about its condition. It also has a very serious impact on this market by taking over the organization and financing of the system of retraining workers in connection with structural changes in the economy.

The toolkit of social policy in the field of the labor market includes, along with making compensation payments in case of unemployment and during the job search, the provision of advice on career guidance, employment and vocational training, which facilitates entry into working life or a change of profession. The funds from the unemployment insurance fund must be used effectively.

1.3.5 Housing policy

The policy of providing the necessary housing conditions is considered in modern Western countries as an instrument of social policy. Easily and quickly solved housing problems increase the territorial mobility of the labor force, which, in conditions of significant structural shifts, is of particular importance, because it increases the efficiency of production.

In the traditional version, this direction of social policy is carried out by allocating funds from the budget to assist workers renting housing. However, there are alternative options: the state is able to encourage independent housing construction. In this case, various possibilities are used. For example, territorial authorities themselves create relatively cheap housing complexes and rent them out to low-income families. Another way of social support in this area involves the use of housing built by private building cooperatives. The role of the state in this case is reduced to the fact that it provides land to construction organizations free of charge, provides them with concessional loans or applies softer taxation to them. As part of this option the state usually controls the amount of payment for housing, setting a limit on the amount of income of owners for rented housing. In some cases, it is necessary to act even more decisively: to withdraw land from private ownership and use it for public housing construction.

1.3.6 Social policy in the field of education

Over the past ten years, the following changes have taken place in the field of education: the labor market has changed - the customer began to dictate strict requirements for the graduate; an increasingly active role is being played by regional and local authorities; there is an active adaptation to the new environment of the education system itself.

It is positive that a new legislative framework is being formed, the influence of the region is growing, and the requirements of the labor market are taken into account. At the same time, there is clearly insufficient and ineffective budget financing, and the consequences of the commercialization of education are not clear. Increasing property and regional inequality in access to education. Among the clearly marked trends is the awareness of the importance of education by the population. The share of paid education is increasing, the population is gradually realizing its necessity. Proceeding from this, the education reform should actually divide the budgetary flows - some of them will cover the costs of financing compulsory education standards, the other must be given into the hands of the population, so that the family itself chooses the appropriate level and quality of education for children. For paid educational services Russian citizens spend noticeably less money than on medicine. Nevertheless, 28% of families pay for their children's education by contributing money for extracurricular extracurricular activities. The proportion of the population that pays for certain educational services (nutrition, Maintenance, school security, individual sessions) rises as urbanization increases. Thanks to state support, more than 30% of poor families receive school textbooks free of charge. Almost every fifth family where children receive higher education in one way or another, they pay for it from personal funds. Overall, 60% of families with children school age believe that they will not be able to pay for their children's education at the university. It is necessary to introduce a state order for higher education by providing grants and educational loans, to test and widely introduce a system of nationwide testing.

1.3.7 Social health policy

In the healthcare sector, the practice of paying for medical services is becoming more and more common - in recent years, every second family has had to pay for them on their own, this is not only about the traditional private dental practice, but also about paying for diagnostic examinations and doctor's consultations. Paid treatment is compulsory: the level of well-being of families who are forced to pay for medical services is not the highest, and in conditions where the expansion of the scale of paid medicine takes place against the background of falling incomes of the population, many refuse treatment for financial reasons. During the years of reforms, medicines have ceased to be in short supply, but for many they are not affordable due to high prices. Therefore, up to 35% of patients are forced to refuse to buy prescribed drugs. The state introduced incentives for the free purchase of medicines, but due to the lack of financial support, this right turned out to be formal for most of the “beneficiaries”. The situation is deteriorating, which is reflected in the gap between the officially proclaimed state guarantees for the provision of medical care to the population and real funding, in the incompleteness of healthcare reforms, and in the unsatisfactory coordination of all structures responsible for the situation in this area. At the same time, the financial situation of the healthcare sector is better than that of education and culture. At the same time, the share of the population's funds in paying for medical services is constantly increasing, today it is equal to the share of the state. The most difficult situation with state funding is in small towns and villages where there is no broad tax base.

There are two ways out of this situation: either to change the guarantees of free medical care enshrined in the constitution, or to increase the amount of funding. Based on this, three options for healthcare reform are proposed:

The conservative proposes the preservation of formally free medicine, the curtailment of the compulsory medical insurance system, the partial restoration of the vertical administration health care system;

Radical means the revision of state guarantees, the final transition to mandatory honey. insurance, restructuring of the honey network. institutions, per capita tax from the population to ensure the functioning of the health care system;

Moderate is based on the preservation of formally free medicine, the introduction territorial planning reducing costs in this area. It is planned to officially switch to an agreed shared payment for medical care at the expense of the budget and compulsory medical insurance based on uniform tariffs.

The priority national project "Health" assumed the reorganization of the healthcare system in 2 years in such a way that a standard set of high-quality medical services is provided to all those in need. Unfortunately, the long queues of patients at the doors of city polyclinics, now gathering long before they open, indicate that this idea has not been implemented in 2 years.

Over the two years of the implementation of the national project “Health”, little has changed for the majority of medical workers. In this regard, the practice has developed when the patient is actually forced to pay the doctor for the opportunity to gain access to free medical care. And if we take into account that about 20% of Russians are below the poverty line, this means that a significant part of the population is actually deprived of the opportunity to receive medical care under their medical insurance policy.

Speaking about the health development program, it must be taken into account that it is impossible to develop the national project "Health" without effective system health insurance primarily for the working population. And this means that for stable financial receipts in the national health care system, high legal wages of employees are needed. In the meantime, the absence of insurance principles and the lowering of social insurance rates with the existing regressive scale leads to problems associated with a reduction in state payments for sick leave, with sanatorium-and-spa treatment for working and needy categories of citizens, with children's health improvement. Therefore, it is really impossible to solve these issues without increasing wages as the basis on which the social policy of the state can be built.

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Chapter 2. Analysis of the real situation

The current social policy does not correspond to the new economic relations. It is a chaotic, unsystematic combination of centralized and market controls. The choice of “fire” measures as the dominant direction of the Russian social policy in relation to certain categories of the population and certain regions, the reduction of social protection to monetary compensation mechanisms were due not only to limited material and financial resources, but also to underestimation, and in some cases ignoring the social component economic reform.

As a result, social policy has been reduced to providing the lowest possible social minimum for the population and responding to social situations.

Miscalculations of the state in the field of social policy lead to an increase in poverty and misery, degradation of labor, marginalization of citizens with a low social status. Instead of the constant formation of the middle class, which is the key to political and social stability, the harmonization of market relations, there is an expansion of strata of the population that steadily gravitate towards the social lower classes, which is also extremely dangerous politically, since it means that support for reforms in Russian society is weakened quantitatively and qualitatively. , psychologically and motivationally.

Of course, certain measures aimed at mitigating the negative consequences of a sharp drop in living standards and partially compensating for the losses of the most needy groups of the population are being taken. Although, so far, in the field of social policy, the actions of the state aimed at developing temporary measures adequate to the transition period and strategies for social development for the long term have not been defined and delineated. At all levels of power, the lack of flexibility, the weakness of scenario forecasting and a systematic analysis of the social consequences of decisions are becoming more and more acutely realized. Insufficient attention is paid to the development of the principles of social policy arising from the federal structure of our state, the delimitation of the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and its subjects.

To a large extent, all this is due to the lack of a national concept of the welfare state, which is somewhat holistic, and agreement in society on the issue of social policy priorities in the transitional period.

Sharp discussions are unfolding about and methods of implementing social policy. This is no coincidence, since the extent to which the rights and freedoms of citizens are realized, how state support is guaranteed for vulnerable categories, depends on whether the majority of the population will be interested in changes.

Currently, Russia has about a thousand different regulations that provide for certain types of social benefits, allowances, subsidies and compensation payments for more than 200 categories of citizens (veterans, disabled people, children, the unemployed, students, etc.) . Almost 100 million out of 148 million people, or about 70% of the population of Russia, receive various additional payments, while the proportion of those who really need it does not exceed 30% of the population.

The current system of benefits and compensations is extremely inefficient. A significant part of social transfers is used to support those groups of the population whose incomes are above the subsistence level. Less than 20% of the funds allocated to finance social benefits go to needy families. Therefore, with significant budget funds allocated for social needs, real help, which reaches a specific person, is often simply symbolic.

Chapter 3. Improving the social policy of the state

Social policy should be directed towards solving priority problems, developing mechanisms for the efficient use of resources allocated for social goals, harmonization of the obligations of the state with the real possibilities of their financing. These tasks must be solved on the basis of state standards, the development of self-financing and insurance principles, and the strengthening of the financial base of the social sphere.

It is necessary to focus on the main priorities of social policy during the transition period, namely:

Recognition of the responsibility of the state for the social status of its citizens;

Guarantee for all citizens free education and medical care;

Bringing the minimum wage, scholarships and benefits in line with the real living wage;

Guaranteeing the timely payment of wages to public sector employees, pensions, scholarships, etc.;

Prevention of mass unemployment, retraining and advanced training of the released workforce;

Support for families, motherhood and childhood, veterans and the disabled;

The fight against crime.

The most appropriate for the successful functioning of Russia's social policy is to focus on the following three blocks of problems.

General methodological approaches to the formation of a welfare state2;

Regulation of employment, labor market, labor prices and wages;

Social protection of the population, regulation of relations in the social sphere.

Within the framework of the first block, the following main points can be distinguished.

First, a radical change in the economic foundations of society, the transition from administrative-command to market economic models requires a radical change in the principles of social policy and approaches to their implementation.

Secondly, the Russian state can become truly social only if its three elements - an effective economy, strong power (legislative, executive, judicial) and public institutions (social partnership system, coordination of interests of the main subjects of labor relations) - constantly and effectively interact .

Thirdly, a radical restructuring of the entire social sphere should be based on basic principles democratic welfare state:

The priority of human rights and his fundamental freedoms, combined with the principle of individual responsibility of a citizen for his material well-being;

Solidarity, due to the interconnectedness and mutual responsibility of society and its members;

Optimal support both directly from the state itself and from free associations of people who are increasingly able to take on the decision of many social tasks.

Fourth, when developing state social programs, a promising, comprehensive and socially oriented approach should dominate.

Fifth, as world experience shows, the state's efforts aimed at the formation of the middle class, targeted assistance to the poor and progressive taxation of the rich play a huge role.

Within the framework of the second block of problems, the central attention is paid to two interrelated aspects - employment policy and income policy.

The most important direction of an active employment policy is to accelerate the adaptation of the population to market requirements, the development of labor market infrastructure, personnel training systems, etc. The problems of improving the structure of employment, diversifying its forms, methods of implementation, preventing mass unemployment throughout Russia and gradually improving the employment situation in regions with tension in the labor market are being brought to the fore. This implies the need for an examination of all federal targeted programs in terms of assessing their impact on employment conditions by industry and in the regions.

The income policy includes the development of measures that affect the formation of the price of labor, its dynamics, sectoral and regional differentiation, in order to stimulate the growth of the price of labor and wages, ensure its timely payment, limit its excessive differentiation, convergence of the minimum wage and the subsistence minimum. . For example, the average wage in industry is several times lower than the unemployment benefit in developed countries, not to mention the wages of state employees and agricultural workers. The connection of this aspect of social policy with employment is obvious, so they should be addressed simultaneously.

It must be clearly understood that real management labor relations and labor itself will become possible only with the appropriate development of social partnership, and the effectiveness of the programs being implemented will be determined by the joint actions of state institutions (all levels and branches of government), public organizations of workers and business structures.

The center of gravity of the adjustment of reforms should shift, on the one hand, to structural transformations in the sphere of labor and social and labor relations, on the other hand, to ensure the real priority of social sectors (science, education, healthcare, culture), which should guarantee the reproduction of an employee capable of to provide a decent standard of living through his work.

The urgent need to develop fundamental approaches to solving problems related to the third block is determined not only by the fact that today a significant part of Russians need social protection, but also by the fact that the current system of guarantees and benefits not only leads to inefficient public spending on social help, but also conflicts with general direction reforming social relations. Until now, it has played a decisive role state structures authorities, federal and local budgets in the collection and distribution of local budgets.

It seems appropriate to differentiate functionally oriented, complementary institutions of social protection that provide:

Social guarantees based on the principles of equality of opportunity, universal accessibility of national systems of education, healthcare and social insurance;

Social assistance to the most vulnerable and, first of all, disabled categories of the population.

Social insurance: compulsory - for the entire active population of the country at the expense of contributions from employers and employees, voluntary - for part of the employed population as a personal initiative of employees and employers.

While social guarantees and social insurance are not related to the degree of need, social assistance should be targeted, which requires:

Strict consideration of the level of material security of each citizen;

Transition to targeted assistance, both to an individual citizen and a family;

A clear differentiation of the causes of need, the refusal of state assistance to able-bodied citizens who have the opportunity to work, but do not want to do so;

Transferring the center of gravity for the provision of targeted assistance to the level of local governments when transferring to the latter the relevant functions and funds for their implementation.

Continuation
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At the same time, state social assistance to those in need will only make sense if it satisfies the basic needs of a person. Hence the need to abandon the use of the minimum wage as a regulator of the level of social benefits, replacing it with a living wage, taking into account regional differences.

For modern Russia, the question of the historical responsibility of the state for changes in the social situation of the population as a whole and all its constituent groups is extremely relevant.

In this regard, first of all:

Clearly define the boundaries of the basic social guarantees provided by the state;

Identify the main priorities of a social policy focused on the formation of a middle class with targeted differentiated assistance to the poor and progressive taxation of the rich;

Think over specific mechanisms for mitigating the contradictions inherent in the very idea of a social state between the social and legal principles of Russian statehood, achieving a balance between centralization, the rights and interests of the subjects of the Federation and local self-government;

The state should retain the right to set limits, both socialization and the permissible degree of liberalization and openness of the economy at each specific stage.

Self-withdrawal of the state from the regulation of many socially significant issues (remuneration in the non-budgetary sphere, price setting, etc.), the desire to solve a fairly wide range of problems by market methods, shifting responsibility to self-government bodies, to the individual himself, is quite natural for market economies. The development of civil society structures is one of the main conditions for increasing the responsibility of citizens for their own material well-being.

To equalize the social situation in different regions of the country at the federal level, it is advisable to determine only the minimum state standards for the main types of social services for the population, in accordance with which the policy of financial equalization is carried out.

Hence the need:

Equalization of conditions for budgetary financing of socially significant expenses;

Support for social reforms and social development of problem regions;

Adaptation of social reforms to the northern and other territories with special conditions residence (desert, high mountains, etc.)

Of great importance is the program-target method for solving social problems, oriented towards social standards that are characteristic of each individual period: crisis, stabilization, economic recovery. At the current stage, there should be about 15-20 such problems (food, non-food products, development of the service sector, housing and communal services, health care, insurance, etc.), rigidly linked to each other. Each area needs regional programs that take into account local social standards. Therefore, the following should be put forward in the rank of priority tasks of legislative activity at this stage:

Return to the practice of social planning and the development of social transformation programs based on long-term multivariate national economic issues;

Organizational streamlining of the development of fundamental acts that provide the legal basis for promoting social reforms.

Conclusion

Thus, social policy controls the development of the social structure of society.

Russia will have to develop and master methods for the formation and implementation of state social policy in the context of the struggle political parties and movements, competition programs. The task of reaching a consensus in society on the broadest possible basis, when it is necessary to seek agreement on certain specific issues of a rational course of social policy, remains relevant.

Social policy can be modern and humanistic only when it skillfully incorporates the interests of classes and social groups, harmonizes them and thereby ensures the stability of society, people's confidence in their future, and generates optimism.

The social life of society in the last period has gone in two directions. On the one hand, there was freedom to choose goods and services, their forms. But on the other hand, all these social benefits are not available to the vast majority of the country's inhabitants. Such phenomena as poverty, obvious unemployment, insecurity in old age, and refugees have become widespread. These phenomena were not clearly visible under the old political system. Allowances and various kinds of payments and subsidies do not correct the situation.