Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies

by Kingdon, John W.

• ISBN13: 9780673523891
• ISBN10: 0673523896
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-01-01
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley

Summary

This text remains the authoritative work on agenda setting and policy formation. This report on original research includes many dow-to-earth illustrations and quotations from interviews, creating enjoyable and informative reading for undergraduate students.

Table of Contents

Preface to the First Edition	xi	(2)
Preface to the Second Edition	xiii
CHAPTER 1 How Does An Idea's Time Come?	1	(20)
Concepts and Definitions	2	(2)
A Brief Account of the Research	4	(1)
The Lay of the Land	5	(10)
Some Explanations	15	(3)
A Brief Preview of the Book	18	(3)
CHAPTER 2 Participants on the Inside of Government	21	(24)
The Administration	21	(9)
By Contrast: Civil Servants	30	(4)
Capitol Hill	34	(8)
Conclusion	42	(3)
CHAPTER 3 Outside of Government, But Not Just Looking In	45	(26)
Interest Groups	46	(7)
Academics, Researchers, and Consultants	53	(4)
The Media	57	(4)
Elections-Related Participants	61	(4)
Public Opinion	65	(2)
Conclusion	67	(4)
CHAPTER 4 Processes: Origins, Rationality, Incrementalism, and Garbage Cans	71	(19)
Origins	71	(6)
Comprehensive, Rational Decision Making	77	(2)
Incrementalism	79	(4)
The Federal Government and Garbage Cans	83	(7)
CHAPTER 5 Problems	90	(26)
Indicators	90	(4)
Focusing Events, Crises, and Symbols	94	(6)
Feedback	100	(3)
Why Problems Fade	103	(2)
Budgets: A Special Problem	105	(4)
Problem Definition	109	(4)
Conclusion	113	(3)
CHAPTER 6 The Policy Primeval Soup	116	(29)
Policy Communities	117	(4)
Communities and the Soup	121	(10)
Criteria for Survival	131	(8)
The Short List of Ideas	139	(4)
Conclusion	143	(2)
CHAPTER 7 The Political Stream	145	(20)
The National Mood	146	(4)
Organized Political Forces	150	(3)
Government in the Political Stream	153	(6)
Consensus Building in the Political Stream	159	(3)
Conclusion	162	(3)
CHAPTER 8 The Policy Window, and Joining the Streams	165	(31)
What Policy Windows Are and Why They Open	166	(6)
Coupling	172	(7)
Policy Entrepreneurs	179	(5)
Occurrence of Windows	184	(6)
Spillovers	190	(4)
Conclusion	194	(2)
CHAPTER 9 Wrapping Things Up	196	(13)
Agenda Setting	197	(3)
Alternative Specification	200	(1)
Coupling and Windows	201	(3)
Entrepreneurs	204	(1)
Conclusion	205	(4)
CHAPTER 10 Some Further Reflections	209	(22)
New Case Studies	209	(13)
Thoughts About the Modelling	222	(9)
Appendix on Methods	231	(14)
The Interviews	232	(5)
Coding	237	(3)
Case Studies	240	(2)
Noninterview Measures of Agenda Status	242	(3)
Index	245