[en] Part I reviews the two main classes of criteria proposed for social decisions: (1) market mechanisms and cost-benefit analysis and (2) the approaches of Rawls and Buchanan to arrive at a social consensus. The authors propose an eight element criteria for evaluating a social decision process capable of application in judicial, legislative, academic, and managerial situations. Parts II and III are case studies of different decision procedures. The former inspects the administrative law procedure using the U.S. EPA chlordane/heptachlor suspension hearings for example. The legal procedure is concluded to be a forward-looking decision process in an effort to increase social acceptability of the outcome. The latter examines the disjointed decision procedure concerning the disposal of nuclear waste. In both cases the eight criteria proposed in Part I nevertheless provide a useful tool for evaluating the process