49 4.11 – CHAPTER SUMMARY
- CHAPTER SUMMARY
In this chapter, we discuss how public problems are identified and then included on the agenda. Policy agendas can be formal lists of bills that a policymaker is attempting to pass into law or a less formal collection of topics that are of interest to the policymaker. The agenda setting process encompasses a complex set of steps and actors. Elites, bureaucrats, the media, interest groups, and even citizens all have the ability to set the agenda. Agenda setting is one of the most important steps in the policy process, as this is where public problems are identified, solutions are defined, and topics gain and lose importance among policy makers and the public.
