Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies John Kingdon

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Agendas, Alternatives, and Public PoliciesJohn
Kingdon
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Setting the Agenda
? Problems ? Policies ? Politics
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PROBLEMS
POLICIES
POLITICS
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PROBLEMS
POLICIES
POLITICS
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Problems

• ? Indicators
• ? Feedback
• ? Focusing events

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Academic Performance WorldwideMathematics
U.S.
Source Program for International Student
Assessment
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Average NAEP Mathematics Scores
17 Year Olds
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How Americans Rate Their Schools
Percentage Giving Schools D or F
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The ideas of economists and political
philosophers, both when they are right and when
they are wrong, are more powerful than is
commonly understood. Indeed, the world is ruled
by little else . . . I am sure that the power of
vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared
with the gradual encroachment of ideas. John
Maynard Keynes
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Public Opinion on Vouchers
How much do you favor or oppose the following
idea? Parents are given a voucher or certificate
by the government to pay for all or part of
tuition if they decide to send their child to a
private or parochial school?
Source Public Agenda, On Thin Ice
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Public Awareness of School Vouchers
Do you need to learn more to have an opinion?
How much do you know about vouchers?
Need to learn more
Very little or nothing
Source Public Agenda, On Thin Ice
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Opinion Volatility on Vouchers
Parents should have the right to choose their
childs school
Should students be allowed to choose a private
school at public expense?
Agree
Oppose
Public Agenda
Phi Delta Kappa
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Concern About Social Security
Do you think the Social Security system will or
will notbe bankrupt by the year 2024 if major
changes are not made to the system?
NO OPINION
NO
YES
Source Gallup/ CNN/ USA Today 2/05
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Criteria for Democracy The Big Three In a
democracy, citizens must be able to Formulate
their preferences decide what they
think Signify their preferences tell others
what they think Have their preferences weighted
equally everyone is equal