Policy Formulation:Agenda Setting

1
Chapter 5

• Policy FormulationAgenda Setting

2
Agenda Setting

• First of two parts associated with formulating
  policy.
• Influences external environment
• legislation
• Confluences of political environment and
• 1. Identify the problem
• 2. Presence of possible solutions
• 3. Political circumstances

3
Political Forces

• Window of opportunity
• Political circumstances surrounding ea.
  problem/solution influence the opening and
  closing of the window in dev. legis.
• -competing issues
• -civil order
• -economic instability
• -national security
• -attitudes of the public, policymakers, etc.

4
Systems Model

• Components
• Input Envirn. Influences
• Output Policy
• Implementation Public Agency
• Feedback Legislature
• System Model Two or more elements designed to
  obtain common objectives.

5
Driving Forces

• Preferences of individuals, orgs, int. grps.
• Biological, cultural, demographic, ecological,
  ethical, legal, psychological, social, and
  technological aspects of American life
• Importance and urgency of problem

6
Possible Solutions

• Problems submitted must have at least one
  possible solutions
• Multiple solutions create competing sides.
• Research can influence policy in two ways
• 1. Documentation
• 2. Analysis of potentional solutions

7
Resulting Policies

• Managed care
• HIPAA
• M/Cal and M/Care
• High priority problems- most likely to lead to a
  policy.

8
Research Outcomes

• Quantification and documentation
• Advanced diagnosis and treatment
• Pilot projects determine
• -feasibility
• -efficacy
• -workability

9
Decision Making

• Pub. Priv. Sector Common Considerations
• Will solution solve the problem?
• Will resources tech. support implement?
• What costs benefits relative to solution?
• What results of adv. to disadv. analysis?
• Pub. Sector Political concerns and
  considerations of legislators, int. groups,
  general public, orgs.

10
Agenda Setting

• Why are interest groups of greater influence(in
  agenda setting) than individuals?

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Agenda Setting

• Individuals
• -opinions change
• -various degrees of info.
• Interest Groups
• -united front
• -highly concentrated efforts
• -stimulate or block policies

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Interest GroupTactics

• Lobbying
• Electioneering
• Litigation
• Shaping Public Opinion

13
Agenda Setting

• Role of Chief Executives
• What are their political advantages?

14
Health Policy Agenda

• Health policy agenda is shaped by the confluence
  of the 3 streams.
• Health policy coexists and competes with other
  policy agendas.
• Pluralistic society creates factions and
  multiple/conflicting policies.
• Policy differences reflect the perspective of the
  interest groups.