Comparative analysis of high technology programs: the development and diffusion of the nuclear power reactor in six nations

A Policy Study is presented which represents an outgrowth of a Rand Corporation study sponsored by the National Science Foundation on the history of the light water reactor program. The comparative analysis of six national nuclear reactor programs should be of interest to a large community of scholors and practitioners, including those dealing with energy policy, technology assessment, government research and development of civilian technologies, comparative policy analysis, and the interaction between organizations and emerging technologies. Although the evidence is not sufficient to support or validate a full-blown theory of technology development, some attempt is made to suggest possible avenues for future theoretical exploration in that vein