The System

1
The System
PS 202 -- American Political Institutions and
Processes
Fall 2000
2
Kingdon -- Three Types of Decisions
Modifying the Garbage-Can Model Whats Decided

• Decisions about the Agenda
• Issues
• Health Care Coverage
• Air Pollution
• Child Care
• Disaster Relief
• Crime
• Decisions about the Alternatives
• Specific Policy Proposals
• Health Care ? single payer, pay or play, managed
  competition, vouchers
• Air Pollution ? emissions regulation, emission
  taxes, alcohol fuels
• Child Care ? tax credits for day care, federal
  subsidies
• Disaster Relief ? subsidized earthquake
  insurance, reinsurance
• Crime ? incarceration, v-chips, gun control
• Decisions about Public Policies

3
Kingdon -- Three Streams
Modifying the Garbage-Can Model The Streams
Policy
Window of Opportunity
Politics
Problems
4
The Problem Stream

• Systematic Indicators
• Focusing Events

From a condition into a problem
Not Enough -- Why?
5
The Politics Stream

• The National Mood

6
Domestic Policy Mood of Nation
JFK Elected
Clinton Elected
LBJ Landslide
Watergate/Nixon Resignation
Vietnam Escalation
Reagan Elected
James Stimson, Michael Machuen, Robert Erikson,
Dynamic Representation, American Political
Science Review (1995).
7
The Politics Stream

• The National Mood
• Elections
• Chief Executive
• Legislative Seats
• Specific Legislative Leaders
• Interest Groups

8
Changing the Politics Stream -- Interest Group
Example
Two Strategic Targets

• Policy Venue
• E. E. Schattscheider expanding the scope of
  conflict
• Policy Image
• Framing
• William Riker heuresthetics

Frank R. Baumgartner and Bryan D. Jones, Agendas
and Instability in American Politics, 1993.
9
The Politics Stream

• The National Mood
• Elections
• Chief Executive
• Legislative Seats
• Specific Legislative Leaders
• Interest Groups

• Media

Not Enough -- Why?
10
The Policy Stream

• Policy Primeval Soup
• Policy Communities
• Policy Entrepreneurs
• Policy Viability
• Technical feasibility
• Tolerable costs
• Consonance with prevailing values
• Public acquiescence
• Receptivity among elected officials
• Ideas Keep Popping Up

Not Enough -- Why?
11
Kingdon -- The PolicyWindow
Viable Policy Option
Policy
Window of Opportunity
Change in Administration
Major Events/ Crises
Politics
Problems
Change in Legislature (1994)
12
Three Streams and Three Types of Events
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
So who is most Influential in each stream?
13
Results of Political and Technical Viability or
Inviability
Missed Opportunity
Likely
Possible, But Will Fail
Impossible
14
The End