Public attitudes toward goals and characteristics of welfare state in Russia

Attitudes towards the idea of welfare state, its goals and characteristics are analyzed based on qualitative (focus-groups) and quantitative (online survey of 1900 respondents nationwide) data of the study “Russian citizens' request for a just social state”. At the normative level, the idea of a welfare state is included in the image of the ideal state by survey participants. Social tasks and obligations of the state are perceived as one of the key functions for a modern state. The characteristics which describe welfare state for respondents are not limited to economic aspects and social provision, but also include political and legal obligations: 65% of respondents expressed universalistic views on the characteristics of a social state - they choose all or almost all characteristics from the proposed list as integral parts of welfare state, 13% have moderately wide views and 22% - selective views. Significant differences were found in the attitudes of respondents of three generations - Soviet, transitional and post-Soviet - how wide they perceive the functions of welfare state, how large are the demands and expectations and the views on the ideal model of society as terminal goal - a society of equality or a society of open opportunities. The gap between normative expectations and evaluation of the current status of Russia as a welfare state is rather large - only one third of respondents believed that Russia today is a welfare state to the full extent. The reasons of the discrepancy between expectations and reality are multiple and include current situations that are not concentrated on one problem or aspect, but include substantive (low level and quality of payments and services), procedural (bureaucracy, corruption) and resulting aspects (high level of inequality). The Soviet generation is much more critical in its evaluations than younger generations which may be related to universalistic views on the functions of the welfare state, self-interests and values internalized during socialization and life experience in the Soviet social system.