Strategies To Improve China's Social Assistance System

Narrowing the gap between rich and poor and maintaining social harmony and stability are hot spots in the modern world. To solve problems concerning unfair income distribution caused by market failure, governments of all countries have taken sweeping measures to enhance macroscopical control. One of the most significant measures is the establishment of the Social Security System, in which the Social Assistance System, an indispensable part of economic life, plays an important role and is often regarded as the "Shock Absorber" and "Safety Net" of society. The framework of our country’s Social Assistance has been basically completed for years, but, to some extent, the assisted groups and the content have changed along with the development of society. In society today when human rights are advocated, for example, the function of Social Assistance is no longer to simply offer relief or aid, but to provide citizens with a secure living environment and a harmonious survival condition. Therefore, it is urgent to perfect the Social Assistance System in our country, which makes practical sense to research on it. Accordingly, this essay mainly deals with the perfection of our country’s current Social Assistance System, making the whole system proceed with the times and develop its full potential.The essay first conceptually analyzes Social Assistance, and then points out some drawbacks of Social Assistance System in our country by making a longitudinal comparison of ancient and modern, and a crosswise comparison of China and foreign countries. These insufficiencies include the imperfect legal system, inadequate administration system, unscientific financing mechanism, undeveloped salvation philosophy etc. Finally and accordingly, the article elaborates on every sector of Social Assistance from four aspects:legalization, systematization, scientization, and humanization. Meanwhile, the essay also deals with explorations of possible solutions:analyzing Social Assistance from the perspectives of law and its subject and object, improving the systematization standard of Social Assistance through establishing Information Network System, implementing scientific methods of financing and management, and setting up people-oriented mutually-benefiting ideas, and ends up with an ultimate goal of establishing a development-oriented and all-covering assisting system.However, due to my limited writing skill, the conclusion is far from perfection as many researches lack depth and some viewpoints are immature. After all, as a giant and significant project, building up a sound Social Assistance System cannot be accomplished at one stroke and much remains to be done. To gradually improving the Social Assistance System of our nation, we have no other options than to learn from one another through explorations and discussions, thereby promoting the sound and fast development of harmonious society.