ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is concerned with basically one element of that policy: the events surrounding the development of civilian nuclear power by the United States Government and private industry between the years 1946 and 1974. It focuses on the development and commercialization of civilian nuclear power in America between the years 1946-1974. The book discusses what "government control" of the atom meant for the future of nuclear energy policy in the United States immediately following the War. It examines the 1946-1960 period, the period during which the essential outlines of the present-day reactor programs were institutionalized. The book also focuses on the commercialization of civilian nuclear power during the years 1960--1974, the time during which nuclear power was believed to have achieved economic competitiveness with conventional generating technologies.
