1. Agenda Setting: Pluralism versus Elitism

2. Who Sets the Agenda?
To understand how agendas are determined requires understanding another issue--the manner in which political power is exercised…
pluralist approach
elitist approach

3. Pluralist Approach to Policymaking
Pluralist approach assumptions…
policymaking is divided into a number of separate arenas
interests and individuals who have power in one arena do not necessarily have power in others
there is something of a marketplace in policies
actors involved generally agree on the rules of the game
Pluralism is the dominant approach to American policymaking
the principal function of the government is to be the “umpire” in a struggle among competing group interests
multiple access points are available in this policymaking approach

4. Elitist Approach to Policymaking
The elitist approach contradicts the pluralist approach…
assumes that a “power elite” dominates decision making and the policy process, so that the marketplace is not fair
the same interests consistently win: business, the upper and middle classes, and whites
skeptical about the organizing capacity of the lower classes
elites keep issues off of the agenda

5. Comparing Approaches Each policy is made in its own type of arena…
elitist approaches may work best for policies affecting primarily the elite, like energy policy, banking, Wall Street
pluralist approaches may work best in policy areas where there are high levels of interest group involvement, like education, housing, policies to support the elderly.