Since the late 1960s, the nuclear power controversy has intruded with increasing frequency and intensity into the political process of most Western countries, and has had a greater polarizing effect on the body politic than almost any other technological dispute in this century.

This timely book concentrates on three main areas of investigation: political management, social legitimation, and international regulation. Camilleri examines the scope and limitations of state intervention in all three areas and concludes that such intervention is often less than effective.

In order to achieve greater coherence and insight, the study concentrates on six countries: the United Kingdom, the United States, France, West Germany, Sweden and Brazil. It successfully relates theory to empirical research and provides a unique international and comparative perspective on the crisis of economic and political management con fronting modern capitalism.