Policy Agendas

Many social issues get cast aside for not being politically appealing, not serving decision-makers agendas, or challenging dominant ideologies. Leaders of legislatures choose not to place the majority of measures on the legislative agenda, thereby allocating their scarce resources to those bills they would like to focus on (Jansson, 2017). Without policy champions or public pressures, critical concerns, especially dealing with projects or population groups that are marginalized, can be chronically neglected. In addition, the dominance of a particular frame may restrict policy innovation, as in drug policy, where research is stifled by the prohibitionist framework (Walker & Netherland, 2018): Policy Agendas.

Some issues easily find their way onto the agendas of decision-makers because they match political priorities, attract media attention, and promise explicit benefits. Lawmakers may even choose to take advantage of an issue that will put them in the media spotlight and afford them a comparative advantage over their opponents in an upcoming electoral contest (Jansson, 2017). Additionally, when there is public concern or credible data that describes a problem as urgent, it becomes hard for leaders to ignore it. For instance, Kabiri et al. (2020) found that “national and international supports provide a favorable climate for the issue”; in this case, gastrointestinal cancer prevention pushed the issue to the policy agenda.

As a policy advocate, getting influential policymakers to pay attention is all about strategic framing, timing, and coalition-building. Policy advocates should produce persuasive evidence and link the issue to public concern or political benefit (Ahrens, 2024). Policy advocates who are promoting programs or policies should also use a combination of ethical, political, interactional, and analytical skills to get their issues on decision-makers agendas (Jansson, 2017).

Engaging influential stakeholders, aligning with current political priorities, and utilizing media to generate public support can also be effective. Also, the presentation of cost-effective and evidence-based solutions may lead to a window of opportunity for political attention. These efforts can help ensure that policy issues get serious attention.

References

Kabiri N, Khodayari-zarnaq R, Khoshbaten M, Arab-Zozani M, Janati A, Gastrointestinal cancer prevention policies in Iran: a policy analysis of agenda-setting using Kingdon’s multiple streams, Journal of Cancer Policy (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2020.100265

Jansson, B. S. (2017). Empowerment Series: Becoming An Effective Policy Advocate (8th ed.). Cengage Learning US. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9798214338224

Ahrens, L. (2024). The impact of public opinion on voting and policymaking. Zeitschrift Für Politikwissenschaft, 34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41358-024-00366-w

Walker, I., & Netherland, J. (2018). Developing a Transformative Drug Policy Research Agenda in the United States. Contemporary Drug Problems, 46(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091450918811178

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There are challenges associated with agenda building. If not dealt with carefully and skillfully, the challenges can adversely affect an issue or a proposal you are trying to place in front of a decision maker. On the other hand, no matter how expertly you build an agenda for your issue or proposal, some issues are going to simply be avoided or not selected for consideration. Why is this so?

For this Discussion, you will explore challenges surrounding policy agendas and the reasons some proposals never make it to the decision maker. Additionally, you will propose ways to get the attention of decision makers.

To Prepare:

• Read Chapter 6 of the Jansson text.
• Review the article by Walker and Netherland in the Learning Resources this week. (ATTACHED)
• Review the article by Kabiri et al. in the Learning Resources this week. (ATTACHED)
  

  Policy Agendas

QUESTION:
Post your responses to the following questions:

• *Many social issues do not receive the necessary attention from decision makers. Why might these issues be cast aside?
• *Some issues receive significant attention from decision makers. Why might these issues easily find their way onto decision makers’ agendas?
• *As a policy advocate, propose some ways to gain the attention of decision makers based on your assigned readings for this week.

Be sure to support your post with specific references to this week’s resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references.