PPA 503 – The Public Policy-Making Process Lecture 5b - Emergency Management and Agenda Setting

A Framework for Studying Focusing Events  Defining potential focusing events. An event that is sudden, with little or now warning.An event that is sudden, with little or now warning. An event that is generally rare, and as a consequence is unpredictable and unplanned.An event that is generally rare, and as a consequence is unpredictable and unplanned. An event that affects a large number of people.An event that affects a large number of people. The public and the most informed members of the policy community learn of a potential focusing event virtually simultaneously.The public and the most informed members of the policy community learn of a potential focusing event virtually simultaneously.  The key element is their suddenness and fixed point in time.  Focusing events give an advantage to change- oriented groups.

A Framework for Studying Focusing Events  Phase 1: The news media: immediate reaction to focusing events. Scope of the event – the people affected.Scope of the event – the people affected. The harms are visible and highly tangible.The harms are visible and highly tangible. Rarity, novelty, and dramatic nature of the event.Rarity, novelty, and dramatic nature of the event.

A Framework for Studying Focusing Events  Phase 2: Political reactions to events and their influence on the institutional agenda. The media reacts immediately and moves on.The media reacts immediately and moves on. The political system responds more slowly, but creates longer reactions because of competition among groups and policy entrepreneurs over the interpretation of the event.The political system responds more slowly, but creates longer reactions because of competition among groups and policy entrepreneurs over the interpretation of the event.

A Framework for Studying Focusing Events  Phase 2 (contd.). Elements producing increased attention and institutional agenda setting.Elements producing increased attention and institutional agenda setting.  News coverage. Mobilization of pro-change forces in direct response to the event, followed by counter- mobilization by status quo groups. Especially useful to individuals and groups that are part of weak advocacy coalitions.Mobilization of pro-change forces in direct response to the event, followed by counter- mobilization by status quo groups. Especially useful to individuals and groups that are part of weak advocacy coalitions.  Scope of the event. The more people affected, the more elected officials who demand action.The more people affected, the more elected officials who demand action.

A Framework for Studying Focusing Events  Policy domain characteristics and their influence on agenda setting. The extent of policy community organization.The extent of policy community organization.  Focusing events will produce more activity in more organized communities.  Unless event is highly visible and the community is polarized.  The substance of the debate is also important.

A Framework for Studying Focusing Events  Policy domain characteristics and their influence on agenda setting (contd.). Public participation or interest in policy making.Public participation or interest in policy making.  The greater the public interest and participation, the more influence focusing events will have on agenda setting.  Natural disasters tend to be low salience, except in catastrophic cases.

A Framework for Studying Focusing Events  Policy domain characteristics and their influence on agenda setting (contd.). Event visibility and the aggregation of harms.Event visibility and the aggregation of harms.  The more graphic the damage, and the more obvious the human impact, the more likely the focusing event will have influence on the agenda.

Natural Disasters as Focusing Events  Natural disasters act as focusing events, influencing the news and the congressional agenda. However, the effects vary across disaster domains.However, the effects vary across disaster domains.

Natural Disasters as Focusing Events  Earthquakes reflect internal mobilization by a few policy entrepreneurs. Hurricanes produce external mobilization because no core group of entrepreneurs exists. In both domains, they must wait for a disaster to advance their agenda, to get people to mitigate and prepare for disaster.In both domains, they must wait for a disaster to advance their agenda, to get people to mitigate and prepare for disaster. The disaster itself triggers agenda activity.The disaster itself triggers agenda activity. Most of the focus after a disaster is on relief, rather than prevention (mitigation and preparedness).Most of the focus after a disaster is on relief, rather than prevention (mitigation and preparedness). The policies that political actor propose may not reflect the recommendations of the experts.The policies that political actor propose may not reflect the recommendations of the experts. This is especially the case if the policy domain has no core of experts.This is especially the case if the policy domain has no core of experts.

Natural Disasters as Focusing Events  Conclusions. No two natural disaster domains are identical. They differ in geographical areas, frequency and periodicity, and the nature of the policy communities.No two natural disaster domains are identical. They differ in geographical areas, frequency and periodicity, and the nature of the policy communities. The existence of a professional community can trigger a greater focus on prevention than currently occurs.The existence of a professional community can trigger a greater focus on prevention than currently occurs.