隨著社會進步、生活富裕，為解決社會問題而建構的福利制度成了各先進國家的重要社會政策。德國的社會國（Sozialstaat）正是一種包含社會福利理念、社會民主精神以及社會市場經濟概念的重要模式，從十九世紀的普魯士王國時期到現在的聯邦德國，在不斷的修正與改革下，堅持社會國之主要精神與目標，即維護社會公正與公平、確保社會安全及穩定、保障人民生活尊嚴，以完成社會國理念。社會保險、社會救助及其他社會福利政策構成了德國完善的社會福利體系，尤其社會保險與社會救助更是德國社會安全體系的重要支柱。在面對人口高齡化、失業問題加劇、社會福利支出造成國家財政負擔等種種挑戰，德國政府近年來不斷推行各項改革政策，由國家扮演社會資源分配與再分配的角色，隨著社會多元化，社會政策也從最初的解決勞工問題擴展到滿足人類生存基本需求，乃至於促進社會成員的福祉都在保障範圍之內，期望能使德國社會國的發展更現代化且更具前瞻性。 The term ＂social state＂ (Sozialstaat) has a broad meaning and it contains with the idea of the welfare system, the spirit of social democracy, and the concept of social market economics. From Prussia in the 19th century to Germany nowadays creating a high level of social security has been seen as the core of Germany's social state activity. The goals of social policy are to make a better and safetier life for the citizens, to maintain social justice, to insure social security, and protect citizens' dignities. In Germany, unemployment insurance is unified, pensions are divided into broad occupational classes, and health care is a labyrinth of separate regional, occupational or company-based funds. The social security is built up on social insurance and the social assistance. In these years, the German government has to face to the challenges from the ageing of the population, from the immigration, from the changes in the labour markets, and from the high unemployment rates. Germany's social reform should tend to strengthen prevention of risks and to broaden the range of compulsory social insurance. Then we'll see a more modern social state in the future.
