Assignment:
Kingdon: Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies

Agenda building is often the first step in your policy practice tasks. Building a solid agenda may well determine the success of the development of a policy proposal and may also determine your success in placing an issue in front of a decision maker.

For this Assignment, you evaluate the accuracy of the Kingdon model of policymaking.

To prepare: Review Chapter 6 in your text, paying special attention to the section entitled “Three Challenges in Agenda Building.”

BY DAY 7

Submit a 2- to 3-page paper evaluating the accuracy of the Kingdon model in policymaking. Address the following:

• Discuss the three streams Kingdon has identified where problems originate, and provide your opinion on which one most accurately reflects how and why policies come about.
• Discuss the assertion that certain kinds of issues receive preferential treatment in problem solution and political streams.
• Discuss tactics that policy practitioners use within each of the three streams to increase the odds that a specific issue will be placed on decision agendas.

Make sure that your assertions are supported by appropriate research and reputable resources.