ABSTRACT
In modern mixed-market economies in developed countries there has been increasing intervention by government in the workings of what is often called "the free market". In the simplest terms this intervention, involving the allocation and distribution of public resources, is meant to provide goods and services which are not supplied by the market, or to alleviate inefficiences or inequalities which are caused by the workings of the market. Environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment are based on two simple assumptions: that the future can be guessed at with enough reliability to make it worthwhile considering potential changes which might be caused by the introduction of new programs, projects, or new technology; and that policy-makers will understand the assessment and respond by modifying the decisions that they might otherwise have made.
