Which type of government assumes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens through various public programs?

A welfare state is characterized by a government that takes an active role in ensuring the wellbeing of its citizens by providing a range of social services and public programs. These typically include health care, education, unemployment benefits, and social security, aimed at reducing poverty and ensuring a minimum standard of living for all.

In a welfare state, the government recognizes its responsibility to support individuals and promote social justice, seeking to address inequalities and provide assistance to those in need. This model emphasizes a collective approach to welfare, wherein the state intervenes to protect the rights and well-being of its citizens.

The other choices represent different political ideologies that do not prioritize citizen welfare in the same way. An authoritarian state centralizes power and typically restricts individual freedoms, focusing on control rather than welfare. A libertarian state champions minimal government intervention, advocating for individual liberty and personal responsibility without extensive public programs. The social contract theory suggests that individuals consent to form a society and accept certain governmental authority, but it does not in itself imply a responsibility for the welfare of citizens.

Thus, the welfare state's focus on comprehensive social programs and governmental responsibility for citizen welfare distinguishes it from these other political structures.