The entropic indeterminateness of public interest: Case study of organized interest in electric power plant siting and technology options

The fundamental premise of this paper is that the integration of public values into collective action and policy must be based on a study of the public interest as an entropic process. To perform such a study, willingness-to-compromise and consistency of values are characterized as analogous to the concept of entropy. Hence high entropy is taken to imply unwillingness-to-compromise and consistency of values while low entropy to indicate that public values are in a state of flux. The assessment of the need for entropy reversal and the assessment of the entropic indeterminateness are suggested as focal points of research. A methodology is suggested and tested through the case study. Findings from the case study are also interpreted as illuminating the contributions of the approach and providing supportive arguments for a participatory, systematic, anticipatory and qualitative study of policy options and public values.