Atomic Energy Act of 1946 - Factors in Formulating The Act

Factors in Formulating The Act

The Senate's Special Committee on Atomic Energy met about six months after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, where it held its first public hearing, and later became the Atomic Energy Act of 1946.

Two commonly held beliefs at the time the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima did much to influence and shape the formation of the Act. The first was that by keeping the secret believed to be held by the United States, the country's military forces were essentially invincible. The second was that the only feasible means of application of this new technology were restricted to the military.

In The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Byron S. Miller discusses four factors that made the legislative process unusual. The first is the military's control of the atomic bomb. Byron states, "The military and political significance of the A-bomb and the political, social, and economic significance of its civilian counterpart, atomic energy, were problems enough; but they were almost eclipsed by the engulfing emotions of fear and awe which then surrounded the subject." It was this fear and pressure of the majority that made the legislation pass this bill.

The second factor Miller addressed was the "newness of the subject." With rising public interest, the discussion carried far across public venues. Many new voices arose, which would have otherwise been unheard.

The presence and involvement of the scientists responsible for creating the bomb greatly rose in the political sphere. Normally uninvolved people were being forced into involvement due to the very nature of the scientists' creation.

The fourth factor was the "post-war attitude toward the armed forces." The American people were split: one side trusted the armed forces and the other held a mistrusting view.