Social aims and policies

Social policies are devised to solve or prevent social problems and evils.

For example, under the purely free enterprise system or market economy those individuals who are unable to contribute to the production process like the unemployed, old people and sick or disabled would not receive any income. Another example of problems that may arise under capitalism are side effects of industrial production processes like noise and all kinds of pollutions. Governments of some countries feel obliged to make available to the public certain amounts of basic goods and services called merit wants that contribute to the basic welfare of the society regardles of their income levels.