Topic 4 Structuring Policy Problems and Agenda Setting 2015

STAGE 1 OF POLICY PROCESS /
POLICY CYCLE
Topic 4
FSPPP, UiTM
ADS514: Intro to Public Policy.
Structuring Policy Problems and
Agenda Setting
1
Content:
• Meaning of public problem, policy problem, policy agenda
• Structuring policy problem process
• Agenda setting process (kingdon’s model)
• Types of policy agenda
FSPPP, UiTM
• Agenda denial
• Policy decisions
• Loss of agenda status
2
Lesson outcome
At the end of this topic, students should be able to:
1. Describe meaning of public problem, policy problem, policy
agenda
2. Describe structuring policy problem process
FSPPP, UiTM
3. Describe agenda setting process (kingdon’s model)
4. Describe the different types of policy agenda
5. Describe agenda denial, policy decision, and loss of agenda
status
3
Definition of terms
• Public problem
• The public matters - actions that affects more than just those
directly involved with the action
• Example: taking drugs without prescription
• This action has indirect consequences towards society.
FSPPP, UiTM
Refer Topic 1
Refer Anderson page 85- 88. Anderson distinguishes private and
public problem by giving example of shortage of gasoline.
4
Definition of terms
• Policy problem
• a situation or a condition (or matter) that causes dissatisfactions
of masses that require governmental actions to resolve
• Example, air pollution, water pollution, flood problem, and
hardcore poverty are considered as unsatisfactory situation or
FSPPP, UiTM
condition for masses that need to be redressed by the
government.
• The problem that need policy decision / government actions

to resolve
5
Definition of terms
• Policy agenda
• Issues that government has considered for actions
FSPPP, UiTM
1
3
Problem Issue Agenda
(Policy
Agenda)
6
Structuring policy problem process
The process involve 3 main steps / stages of activities:
2.
FSPPP, UiTM
1. 3.
Transforming
Identifying public Gets
public problem into issue into
problem issue agenda
7
Step 1:
Identifying public problem
• identifying whether or not problems existed in the society

(what matters public is ‘talking about’),
• whether the matter is a public problem or a private problem
and whether government need to take actions towards the
matter
FSPPP, UiTM
• This stage is concerned with a set of facts, belief and
perception on how people think about situation / condition /
matter in the society that leads to the needs for the
government to take actions
8
Condition for a Situation to
Become Public Problem
1. People must not consider the situation as normal or
inevitable
2. Appropriate or worthy for government to take action
3. Condition must be defined as problem and articulated by
FSPPP, UiTM
someone and brought to the attention of the government
4. A condition is a problem only if something can be done to it.
Example: Earthquake – is it a problem?
9
Step 2:
Transforming public problem into issue
Public problem become issue if situation of the problem signals

public badly require government to take action towards it
Problems V.S. issues:
FSPPP, UiTM
• Problems render life unpleasant and inconvenient.
• Issues imply an interpretation of the problem, a set of values
and an understanding of the proper role of government.
10
How to convert (transform) public problem to issue
Factors need to consider:

• identify what causes the situation/problem,
• trace the root of the problem,
• consider complexity of the problem
FSPPP, UiTM
Refer Anderson page 88- 90 – homeless issue – to explain the
nature of public problem and how it become an issue of
concerned to policy makers (government)
11
Step 3:
Gets issue into agenda
• A process where government make decision on which

issue to pick to resolve. This process is known as
agenda setting process
FSPPP, UiTM
12
AGENDA SETTING
What is agenda setting?:
• the ‘politics of selecting issue for active consideration’
• Process of choosing which issue to select and consider actions
FSPPP, UiTM
/ plan of actions to resolve issue (problem)
• the process by which problems and alternative solutions gain

or lose public and elite attention”. Birkland P.106
13
Agenda setting process (Kingdon’s
Model)
FSPPP, UiTM
14
Policy window will open by 3 streams / routes
Policy window
Agenda is set once policy window open
3 routes / streams for policy window to open:
Problem streams: comprises of matters by which policy player

demand action to resolve
FSPPP, UiTM
• Policy-proposal streams: comprises of alternative to solve problem.
Alternatives are proposed by policy advocacies
• Politics streams: comprises of political actions/decision towards

public matters. Examples: campaign by interest groups, election
result,
The three routes will converge and policy window will open. Once policy
window open, agenda is set ( i.e. issue has reached agenda status)
15
Recap:
When does government give attention to an issue?
when does issue becomes agenda (policy agenda)?
Once policy window opens
• When will the policy window opens? – by the time government
decided to consider taking action to resolve the issue
(disagreement) / as and when the three streams converged
FSPPP, UiTM
• Refer Anderson, page 93, Figure 3.3 – Kingdon’s Agenda-
Setting Model
16
Why governments give attention to an
issue?
• Because there are disagreement among public towards a
particular public problem, and government need to
resolve the disagreement.
• Issues that gets government attention is regarded as
FSPPP, UiTM
have been achieved agenda status & this issue is now
known as policy agenda
17
policy agenda
• Issues that government has considered for actions (policy
agenda) are of 2 main type:
• Systemic agenda
FSPPP, UiTM
• Institutional agenda
18
Systemic agenda (popular agenda)
• Issues that might require governmental action.
• public at large are talking about the issue, but nothing is being
done yet by policy maker
FSPPP, UiTM
• Example:
decision to withdraw Malaysian students from Egypt
temporarily; natural disaster
19
Systemic agenda:
Characteristics
• merit public attention,
• they have widespread awareness or attention;
• the concern is shared by a large segment that some
action is required;
FSPPP, UiTM
• there is shared perception that the matter requires
government attention
• issue falls within the authority of some governmental
department / units;
20
Institutional agenda
(public/governmental agenda)
• issues that legislators or public officials feel obliged to give

serious attention to.
• Issues that become very specific (not general).
• Issues that demand attention of decision makers at
FSPPP, UiTM
institutional level.
• Government action towards the issue is discretionary and
mandatory
21
Deciding actions to resolve policy
issue
• Deciding what action to take towards issues that has reached
agenda status (policy agenda)
FSPPP, UiTM
22
Types of decisions
Two type:
1. policy decision
Make decision to take action towards the selected issue
(policy agenda)
FSPPP, UiTM
2. non-policy decision
Make decision not to take any action towards the selected
issue (policy agenda) (refer Anderson page 100). This mean
policy agenda is neglected or suppressed
23
Policy decision criteria:
• Policy decision criteria refers to all the factors that may
influence policy choices. They include:
• Values
• Party affiliation
FSPPP, UiTM
• Constituency interests
• Public opinion
• Decision rules
24
Agenda denial
• Meaning
issues proposed are denied access to policy agendas / kept off
the agenda
FSPPP, UiTM
• how issues are kept off the agenda?
• Why are they kept off, who engages in the opposition(s), and
what are some of the tactics employed?
• Refer Agenda denial theory - R. W. Cobb’s and M. H.
Ross’ Cultural Strategies of Agenda Denial,
25
Agenda denial tactics
• Political actors keep threatening issues off the agenda, Why?
& How? - Refer Anderson page 99
 The opponent of agenda status uses many tactics to deny policy
issue:
• Tactics:
FSPPP, UiTM
• Deny that a problem exists
• The problem is not appropriate for government action
• Create fear about societal consequences of government action.
• Argue that a problem can be resolved by non-governmental
means
• Advocacy of a commission to further study a problem
• Recourse electoral activity
26
Non decisions-making / Non-Policy
Decision
• a problem or policy alternative is kept off of the agenda,
whether by force or culture.
• agenda items are deliberately kept-off the institutional agenda
by those who control agenda setting process: why?
FSPPP, UiTM
• For political reason, or
• For economic reason
• In other words, it involves killing the issue
27
Conditions for Non-policy
decisions
3 conditions / situations:
a) when dominant elites act openly or covertly to suppress an
issue which are not in their interests.
FSPPP, UiTM
b) when political candidate or administrative officials
anticipate that elites will not favor their interests.
c) when political system itself is structured in a way to facilitate
the resolution of some kinds of issues and to obstruct the
resolution of other.
28
loss of agenda status.
• Refer Anderson page 101
• In the case of non-policy decision, it means issues
that have reached agenda status lost its status
(disappear from agenda). Why? and when?:
FSPPP, UiTM
• Action may have been taken on the issue
• Government decided not to take any action towards the
issue
• Government decided to take action on other problems /
issues
• Public no longer take them as problem / issue 29
Reasons for Loss of agenda
status
1. Policymakers may feel that the problem has been taken care of
and turn their attentions to something else.
2. Changes in the conditions that gave rise to the problem.
3. Appearance of new and more pressing issue.
FSPPP, UiTM
4. People becoming accustom to a condition and no longer labeling
it as problem.
5. Gradual decline in the intensity of public interest on it.
30
END OF LECTURE
Q&A
Thank You

31
FSPPP, UiTM

Topic 4 Structuring Policy Problems and Agenda Setting 2015

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Topic 4 Structuring Policy Problems and Agenda Setting 2015

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

STAGE 1 OF POLICY PROCESS /

• The problem that need policy decision / government actions

• identifying whether or not problems existed in the society

Public problem become issue if situation of the problem signals

Problems V.S. issues:

Factors need to consider:

• A process where government make decision on which

• Process of choosing which issue to select and consider actions

• the process by which problems and alternative solutions gain

3 routes / streams for policy window to open:

Problem streams: comprises of matters by which policy player

• Politics streams: comprises of political actions/decision towards

• Issues that gets government attention is regarded as

• Issues that might require governmental action.

• issues that legislators or public officials feel obliged to give

ADS514: Intro to Public Policy.

You might also like