Abstract
In German, the phrase Sozialstaat (social state) has been in use since 1870. The English equivalent of this term, 'welfare State', is believed to have been coined by the Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple during the Second World War. 'Welfare State' describes a provision of welfare services by the state, or a combination of independent, voluntary, mutualist and government services . The function provider of benefits and services may be a central or state government, a state-sponsored company or agency, a private corporation, a charity or another form of the non-profit organisation. By international standards, the German welfare system is quite generous and the German people are attached to solidarity as a value. As a FES opinion poll on value preferences, points out, social justice and solidarity are the two values most favoured by the German people with respectively 6.3 and 6.1 preference values, on a scale from 1 to 7 .
