<P> The concept of a merit good introduced in economics by Richard Musgrave (1957, 1959) is a commodity which is judged that an individual or society should have on the basis of some concept of need, rather than ability and willingness to pay . The term is, perhaps, less often used today than it was in the 1960s to 1980s but the concept still lies behind many economic actions by governments which are not performed specifically for financial reasons or by supporting incomes (e.g. via tax rebates). Examples include the provision of food stamps to support nutrition, the delivery of health services to improve quality of life and reduce morbidity, subsidized housing and arguably education . </P> <P> In many cases, merit goods provide services which should apply universally to everyone in a particular situation, a view that is close to the concept of primary goods found in work by philosopher John Rawls or discussions about social inclusion . On the supply side, it is sometimes suggested that there will be more support in society for implicit redistribution via the provision of certain kinds of goods and services, rather than explicit redistribution through income . Alternatively, it is sometimes suggested that society in general may be in a better position to determine what individuals need (such arguments are often criticised for being paternalistic, often by those who would like to reduce to a minimum economic activity by government). </P>

Who has first introduced the concept of merit goods and when