(review) Issue creation and agenda content In Participation in American politics: The dynamics of agenda-building

 Issue creation and agenda content


This Chapter tried to define issues and different types of political agendas.


Issue is a conflict between two or more identifiable groups over procedural or substantive matters relating to the distribution of positions or resources.


Triggering Devices

  1. natural catastrophe EX mine cave-in, air inversion, flooding and fire

  2. unanticipated human event EX spontaneous riot, murder and air hijeckings

  3. technological change in the environment that creates heretofore undiscussed questions.

  4. actual imbalance or bias EX distribution of resources

  5. ecological change EX population explosion



Need initiator converts the problem into an issue.


Agendas


Two types of political agendas, systemic agenda and institutional, governmental or formal agenda.


Systemic agenda

consists of all issues that are commonly perceived by the political community.


  • widespread attention or at least awareness

  • shared concern of a sizable portion of the public that some type of action is required.

  • shared perception that the matter is an appropriate concern of some governmental unit and falls within the bounds of its authority.

  • composed of fairly abstract and general items 

  • not necessarily suggest either the alternatives or the means of coping the problem.


Institutional agenda

that set of items explicitly up for the active and serious consideration of authoritative decision makers. that set of items up before any governmental body at the local, state or national level will constitute an institutional agenda.


  • more specific, concrete, and limited in number of items

  • identify the problems 

  • Can be divided into two categories, ole items and new items.

  • Old items : have action alternatives delineated

  • New items : 1. those components that have no predetermined definitions, but are flexible in their interpretation or development. 2. channeled items, those issues channeled to the agenda by the mobilization of mass support or by the activation of significant public groups.

Differential access to institutional gatekeepers


For an issue to agenda status, it must command the support of at least some key decision-makers < ultimate guardians of the formal agenda.



Cobb, R. W., & Elder, C. D. (1993). Issue creation and agenda content. In Participation in American politics: The dynamics of agenda-building (2nd ed., pp. 82-93). Johns Hopkins University Press.

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