Discuss five ways that issues can be put on the public agenda. Provide an example of each.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A number of characteristics can affect the chances of an issue getting placed on the public agenda. The more extreme effects of a problem, the more likely it will be placed on the agenda. An example would be the outbreak of an epidemic, life-threatening disease. A concentration of victims in one area may produce public actions. A rash of unemployment concentrated in a single geographical area may generate calls for action. The more people that are affected by a problem, the more likely that the problem will be placed on the agenda. The visibility of a problem can also influence its probability for being placed on the agenda. The mountain climber syndrome refers to the idea that society is willing to spend enormous amounts of money to rescue a single stranded mountain climber, but will not spend similar sums for programs that may save more lives. A problem can be placed on the agenda if it can be made to look like another program already on the agenda--analogous effect. Medicare was compared to Social Security to have it placed on the agenda. The existence of one program on the agenda may lead to the need for another program--spillover effect. The interstate highway system led to population shifts from urban to suburban areas and this created the need for urban renewal programs. The more closely a program can be linked to an important national symbol, the greater the probability that it will be placed on the agenda. Social programs are more likely to be placed on the agenda if they can be associated with children and helping children.