A. Identify Kingdon’s Agenda-Setting Theory of Policy in the movie “Selma” – 50 points View the movie “Selma” in a one page, double spaced response.
1. What can be identified as one of the “Problems” from Kingdon’s Agenda Setting Theory
2. What was a tactic in the “Proposals” from Kingdon’s Agenda Setting Theory
3. What was one of the “Politics” from Kingdon’s Agenda Setting Theory
4. Then explain what occurred in 2013 with regards to the Voting Rights Act
Conceptual Basis for Policy Making – Chapter 7. (2016, Mason et al).
Kingdon’s Agenda-Setting Theory
According to Kingdon, agenda setting is the first stage in the policy process. The policy agenda is the list of issues or problems to which government officials, or those who make policy decisions (including the voting public), pay serious attention. Moving an idea onto or higher up on that agenda involves three processes: problems, proposals, and politics.
• Problems refer to the process of persuading policy decision makers to pay attention to one problem over others. Because a policy proposal’s chances of rising on the agenda are better if the associated problem is perceived as serious, problem recognition is critical. It can be influenced by how problems are learned about (e.g., through data or indicators, focusing events like a disaster or crisis, constituent feedback) or defined (e.g., framed or labeled). Budget crises are a special consideration in problem recognition, as they often trump other problems.
• Proposals represent the process by which policy proposals are generated, debated, revised, and adopted for serious consideration. Because competing proposals can be attached to the same problem, getting a proposal on the “short list” typically takes time and the willingness to pursue it by using many tactics. Proposals are likely to be more successful if they are seen as technically feasible, compatible with decision maker values, reasonable in cost, and appealing to the public.
• Politics are political factors that influence agendas, such as changes in elected officials, political climate or mood (e.g., conservative, tax averse), and the voices of advocacy or opposition groups.

These three elements operate largely independently, although the actors in each can overlap. Successful agenda setting requires that at least two elements come together at a critical time—that is, when a “policy window” opens. For example, advocates may develop a policy proposal, wait for the right problem to come along, and then attach their proposal to it. Or researchers may identify a problem, but it will not get on the agenda until politics shift. Policy windows are not just chance opportunities, however; they also can be created.
Elevating an idea on the policy agenda requires investments in more than one element and in the ways that the elements can complement one another. Investing in research alone to define a problem, for example, has less chance of success than investing in problem definition and advocacy for proposals that get attached to that problem. The likelihood of successful agenda setting substantially increases if all three elements—problem, proposal, and politics—are linked in a single package.
http://www.hfrp.org/evaluation/the-evaluation-exchange/issue-archive/advocacy-and-policy-change/evaluation-based-on-theories-of-the-policy-process