The emergence of the theory of activating social policy and its meaning for solving modern problems of the welfare state

The article explores the theory of activating social policy, which emerged in Europe in the late 20th and early 21st centuries to address the growing challenges of the welfare state. The theory's emergence stems from academic and political debates over social policy reforms. Social programs established in the mid- to late 20th century began to create economic and financial problems due to an aging population and increased competition in the context of globalization. The theory of activating social policy proposed to reorient social programs from a compensation-based approach to a preventative approach and investment in human capital. The theory of activating social policy is assessed in the context of other contemporary approaches and research findings, including opportunity theory, analysis of the impact of social reforms on electoral processes, and assessments of the relationship between social reforms, poverty, and inequality. The theory of activating social policy was based on the notion of the high political significance of social programs and the impossibility of radically reducing them due to their popularity among the population. To preserve these programs, it was proposed to increase the efficiency of converting resources into results. The state was supposed to create conditions for the greatest economic productivity of citizens and reduce the burden on social programs from predictable social risks. Measurement of the effectiveness of activating social policy programs in domestic and international studies has shown that these programs are highly effective in supporting the elderly, and moderately or poorly effective in supporting employment and fertility. From a political perspective, countries with activating social programs have an advantage because their costs are lower. From an economic and social perspective, countries with reactive social programs have better results in reducing poverty and inequality.