Problem Identification and Agenda Setting essay
The policy process is considered to be a multi-stage cycle. The problem identification and agenda setting stages are important stages of the policy process (Theodoulou & Kofinis, 2012). The problem identification stage involves defining and articulating of the existing problem by individuals and institutions, including the mass media, interest groups, and political parties. Public opinion reflects dissatisfaction with current policies. The agenda setting stage involves defining the alternatives to the policy process and possible outcomes. Before the formulation and adoption of the policy, the issue under consideration should be discussed to take special place on the agenda. There are several levels of agenda setting: the broad political system agenda, the congressional and presidential agendas, and the bureaucratic agenda. The major actors in agenda setting stage are think tanks, interest groups, the mass media, and government officials.
The process whereby a problem ultimately ends up on an agenda to be discussed is incomplete because it has no continuation. Agenda setting decides what issues should be discussed by the U.S. Congress, and what issues will be ignored by the Congress.
The agenda setting process, which relates to education, has it specific features. It came to be identified as a problem through public discussion. To bring it to an agenda, the problem or issue should attract attention of the individuals, interest groups, the parties and government officials (Birkland, 2006). The following players could be involved in agenda setting: the media, the government officials, the interest groups and individuals. Their roles should be focused on promoting public interests, addressing public concerns and building coalitions. Agenda setting stage is crucial to the evaluation of policy making as it determines what issues are subject to formal decision making.
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