The Origin of Expertise in the Nuclear and Environmental Sector in Argentina

• In Event: Expertise, Politics, and Policy in Latin America

Abstract

This paper compares the establishment of the National Commission of Atomic Energy (CNEA) to the Secretariat of Natural Resources and Human Environment (SRNAH) in Argentina. The two organizations were created in 1950 and 1973 under President Perón’s first and third term in office respectively. The inauguration of the CNEA and the SRNAH effectively founded the nuclear and environmental sector in the country. We especially seek to explain the timing of the first investment in state knowledge of nuclear activity and environmental protection. Our study examines the effect of reputation-building strategies on bureaucratic expertise.

Author

• Ricardo A Gutiérrez, Universidad Nacional de San Martín