Policy Process: Agenda-setting

Question 1

def. Agenda-setting

Answer 1

list of subjects or problems to which governmental officials, and people outside of government closely associated with those officials, are playing some serious attention at any given time ~ Kingdon, 1984

Question 2

When is the agenda defined?

Answer 2

Elections

NOTE: Political parties are one of the key actors, next to the public, mass media, think tanks and experts, and in the US interest groups and social movements

POLITICAL PARTIES
gatekeepers, linking political authority to political community

KEY RESOURCE
legitimacy (internal: members, external: voters)

Question 3

What is the role of the media?

Answer 3

priming and selective support

NOTE: media system which may report facts but also (quite often) try to influence by presenting facts in a specific way

KEY RESOURCE
information and diffusion

Question 4

What are the three determinants of agenda-setting?

Answer 4

Convergence thesis
Resource-dependency model
Political business cycle

NOTE:
Convergence thesis: industrialization is the key driver
Resource-dependency model: industralization filtered by non institutional actors (trade unions, political parties)
Political business cycle: timing of distributive/redistributive policies depends on elections

Question 5

What is the convergence thesis?

Answer 5

industrialization is the key driver

Question 6

What is the resource-dependency model?

Answer 6

industralization filtered by non institutional actors (trade unions, political parties)

Question 7

What is the political business cycle?

Answer 7

timing of distributive/redistributive policies depends on elections

Question 8

What actors are involved in the agenda-setting phase?

Answer 8

Public
(in the US:) Interest Groups and Social Movements
Political parties
Think Tanks and experts
Mass media

Question 9

What are components of the policy game in the agenda-setting phase?

Answer 9

policy entrepreneurs
policy windows
policy monopolies