What impact did the one-child policy aim to address in China?

• A. Redistribution of wealth
• B. Population control
• C. Urbanization
• D. Environmental improvement

Answer: (B)

The one-child policy, implemented in China in 1979, primarily aimed to control population growth. At the time, China was facing rapid population increase, which posed significant challenges for economic development, resource management, and environmental sustainability. The government believed that limiting births to one child per family would alleviate issues such as overcrowding, strain on healthcare, and education systems, as well as improve living standards by reducing the dependency ratio.

This policy was a response to concerns about the country's ability to provide food, housing, and jobs for a burgeoning population. The repercussions included significant societal changes, affecting gender ratios and family structures, but its main goal was to achieve a more sustainable demographic balance in light of pressing economic and social challenges.

In contrast, while the other options address important social or economic issues, they do not encapsulate the specific intent of the one-child policy, which was fundamentally about regulating population size rather than redistributing wealth, urbanization, or environmental improvement directly.