The Demise of Nuclear Energy?: Lessons for Democratic Control of Technology

The major theme deals with how the American political system failed to modify a multi-billion dollar program that was becoming politically unacceptable. The authors emphasize the absence of decision-making structures to assist and guide decisions associated with complex technologies. Strategies were not subjected to thorough and comprehensive debate and therefore decisions were not necessarily based on the best and current information available. The authors also question democracy's failure to adjust and conform to public opinion. It is concluded that had decisions concerning safety issues been different during the early development of nuclear technology, public confidence in nuclear power would not have eroded.