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The first major factor in the growth of social welfare was the industrial revolution, which led to widespread poverty and poor working conditions for many people. This prompted governments to implement social welfare programs to provide assistance to those in need and ensure social stability.
germany
social security in 1935
It was revolutionary because it marked the first time the gov't took direct responsiblity for it's citizen's welfare.
The United Kingdom was one of the first countries to begin dismantling its welfare state, particularly during the 1980s under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Her government implemented significant reforms aimed at reducing state intervention and promoting free-market policies, which included cuts to public spending and social services. This shift marked a significant departure from the post-World War II consensus that had supported the expansion of the welfare state. Other countries followed suit in varying degrees, but the UK's actions are often viewed as a pivotal moment in the global trend of welfare state retrenchment.
Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve as a U.S. cabinet member, holding the position of Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As a key architect of the New Deal, she played a crucial role in implementing policies that improved labor conditions, such as the establishment of Social Security and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Her pioneering work laid the foundation for modern labor rights and social welfare in the United States.
New Nationalism was the first welfare program of The United States of America.
Otto von Bismarck created the first modern welfare state in the 1880s as a means to undermine socialist movements in Germany and secure the loyalty of the working class to the state. By introducing social insurance programs like healthcare and pensions, Bismarck aimed to address social unrest and prevent the rise of revolutionary movements.
It appears the idea began with President Franklin Roosevelt (D) in the 1930's. He also brought in Social Security.
She was the first female Cabinet member.
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was a prominent German statesman who served as the first Chancellor of the German Empire from 1871 to 1890. He is best known for his role in unifying Germany through a series of wars and diplomatic maneuvers, often referred to as "Realpolitik." Bismarck implemented significant domestic policies, including social welfare programs, and was instrumental in establishing a complex system of alliances in Europe. His policies and leadership shaped the political landscape of Germany and had lasting effects on European history.
The local social welfare societies were the embryos of the independence struggle that had enabled Africans to arrive at an alternative formula against colonialism. In mobilising their members for action, the welfare societies inevitably assumed a political persona. With welfare and politics interlinking, serious talks began to emerge in the African sectors for a more co-ordinated approach against colonial rule and the settlers' disregard of the plight of local people. To that end all welfare societies were amalgamated to form the Federation of African Welfare Societies. This formation was then transformed into the first African political party in colonial Zambia known as the Northern Rhodesia Congress (NRC). Arguably, this slant of social welfare had a transformative ethos which should have been re-modified and adapted to post-colonial conditions. At independence, the UNIP government should have used the former as a stepping-stone in order to build a modern welfare system. Unfortunately, this was not the case and post-colonial Zambia failed to bridge past organic efforts with contemporary endeavours. Invariably, some colonial methods have surprisingly survived in four decades. In this regard, social welfare actions in post-colonial Zambia have almost remained apolitical and not like in the beginning, when they were couched in political processes. Apart from a brief period in the 1960s, when there was an attempt to bridge political philosophy (albeit of the ruling party and its president) and social welfare, such overtures have not been attempted since. Probably, a social welfare that is non-political creates passive citizens who do not see that social welfare services are part of citizenry entitlements that any democratic state should guarantee its citizens. A citizenry that is politically conscious and aware of this fact would then place demands on its elected leaders relating to the meeting of their needs. This is what happened in colonial Zambia when enlightened Africans saw themselves as inextricably linked to political issues and the question of African self-determination (Cited from Social Welfare in Zambia: The Search for Transformative Agenda - Forthcoming by Ndangwa Noyoo. London: Adonis & Abbey).