Frances Welfare System Essay -- International Government

The welfare system in France is founded on the principle of solidarity. Solidarity is sense of the responsibility of the individuals in the society to help each other out. This is all for the common good (Spicker). In order to promote solidarity, France has a welfare system that includes universal entitlements, social insurance, means-tested public assistance, and tax expenditures programs. One aspect of the French welfare system is universal entitlements. One universal entitlement under the French welfare system is health insurance. Every citizen in Frances is able to have healthcare insurance. For those citizens that are employed, the employer and employee both finance the insurance. However, the government pays for the health care of the unemployed. In both the case of employed and unemployed, there is no deductible. France’s health care system seems to be working quite well since it is ranked as the best in the world according to the World Health Organization (Capell 2007). Free nursery provision for every child three years and up is another universal entitlement. Once the child is old enough to attend school, an additional universal entitlement is in place. All French citizens receive a free education. This free education does not just end after secondary education. In fact, there are 86 universities in France that are free to attend. (Rochefort). Universal entitlements are just one aspect of the French welfare system. Another component of the welfare system is means-tested public assistance. For just housing alone, there are two types of means-tested public assistances: social housing and mortgage subsidies. There are government owned housing for those in need like lower income citizens. In addition to government housin... ...sinessweeks, Stock Market & Financial Advice. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_28/b4042070.htm (accessed December 6, 2013). Evans, Martin. "New Economy." Means Testing Flaws. www.martin-evans.org/assets/files/MeansTestingFlawsNewEconomy.pdf (accessed December 6, 2013) Rochefort, Harriet. "Facts on Education in France." Education in France. www.understandfrance.org/France/Education. (accessed December 6, 2013) Spicker, Paul. "The Welfare State." An Introduction to Social Policy. http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/wstate.htm#France (accessed December 6, 2013). Wingert, Jamie. "Country Case Studies and Links." University of Pittsburgh. http://www.pitt.edu/~heinisch/ca_fran.html (accessed December 6, 2013). 2011. "Making work pay." Economist 399, no. 8738: 60-61. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 6, 2013).