Policy DynamicsFrank R. Baumgartner, Bryan D. Jones While governmental policies and institutions may remain more or less the same for years, they can also change suddenly and unpredictably in response to new political agendas and crises. What causes stability or change in the political system? What role do political institutions play in this process? To investigate these questions, Policy Dynamics draws on the most extensive data set yet compiled for public policy issues in the United States. Spanning the past half-century, these data make it possible to trace policies and legislation, public and media attention to them, and governmental decisions over time and across institutions. Some chapters analyze particular policy areas, such as health care, national security, and immigration, while others focus on institutional questions such as congressional procedures and agendas and the differing responses by Congress and the Supreme Court to new issues. Policy Dynamics presents a radical vision of how the federal government evolves in response to new challenges-and the research tools that others may use to critique or extend that vision. |
Contents
theoretical beginnings | 1 |
multidimensionality and punctuated equilibrium in public policy | 47 |
the coevolution of the issues and structures of american politics | 185 |
conclusions | 291 |
Complete List of Topics and Subtopics Used in the Policy Agendas Project | 307 |
Complete List of Topics and Subtopics Used by OMB | 317 |
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Common terms and phrases
102d Congress 91st Congress 99th Congress agenda space American Political analysis AT&T attention Baumgartner and Jones behavior budget authority challenges chapter Cold War comprehensive health Congress congressional committees congressional hearings Congressional Quarterly coverage data sets decision defense budgets Democratic dimensions dramatic factors federal figure focus focused goals Hart-Celler Act health care reform hearings activity House agenda hypothesis important increase influence issue areas jurisdiction Labor levels major measure Medicare military models national security negative feedback nonreferral hearings number of hearings omnibus bills omnibus legislation party percent period Policy Agendas Project policy areas policy change policy process policy subsystems Political Science positive feedback positive feedback processes president problem programs public policy punctuated equilibrium Reagan referral hearings scholars science and technology Senate shifts Soviet subtopics Supreme Court target groups telecommunications policy tion Topic Code U.S. defense spending urban variables venues witnesses