Unofficial Actors in the Policy Process

Actor Interaction

POSC 315: Week 4-2

Overview

  • Unofficial Actors
    • News Media
    • Political Parties
    • Interest Groups
    • Think Tanks
    • Corporations
    • Individuals
  • Concepts of Interaction

The News Media

"Politicians and the news media create a world of political fictions by developing causal stories that determine to whom and to where or to what blame is affixed." - Deborah Stone

Media Framing

Key Concepts

  • Frame definition: "The process by which a communication source defines and constructs a political issue or public controversy"
  • Impact on public perception
  • Example: "Immigrant Caravan" vs. "Refugee Caravan"

Media Gatekeeping

  • Control over story selection
    • Editorial decisions
    • Story placement
    • Coverage duration
  • Impact on policy windows
    • Creating opportunities
    • Sustaining attention
    • Influencing timing

Modern Media Dynamics

  • Evolution of Media Landscape
    • Traditional vs. Digital platforms
    • Social media impact
    • 24-hour news cycle
  • Challenges
    • Decreasing attention spans
    • Information overload
    • Echo chambers

Pack Journalism

"The tendency of journalists to cover the same stories in the same way because they are competing with each other for audience attention."

  • Creates story momentum
  • Reinforces narrative frames
  • Can lead to groupthink

Political Parties

Unique characteristics:

  • Not mentioned in Constitution
  • Created by politicians
  • Essential for ballot access

Party Functions

  • Coordination Functions
    • Coordinate actions
    • Communicate with voters
    • Raise money
    • Recruit candidates
    • Mobilize voters
    • Organize government

Modern Party Dynamics

  • Polarization Effects
    • Increased ideological sorting
    • Gridlock challenges
    • Partisan policy formation
  • Institutional Changes
    • Primary system evolution
    • Campaign finance role
    • Party discipline

Party Realignment

Historical Examples

  • The New Deal Coalition
  • Southern Strategy
  • Reagan Revolution

Interest Groups

Core Definitions

  • "An organization that tries to influence public policy decisions." - Stone
  • "A collection of individuals who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends." - Lowi

Interest Group Types

  • Institutional Groups
    • National Governors Association
    • National League of Cities
    • National Association of Counties
  • Economic Groups
    • National Association of Manufacturers
    • American Petroleum Institute
    • American Medical Association
  • Public Interest Groups (PIGs)
    • Sierra Club
    • National Rifle Association
    • Consumer advocacy organizations

Modern Interest Group Strategies

Digital Age Tactics

  • Social Media Campaigns
    • Viral advocacy
    • Online mobilization
    • Digital grassroots
  • Data-Driven Approaches
    • Targeted messaging
    • Analytics-based advocacy
    • Digital engagement metrics

Interest Group Activities

  • Direct Activities
    • Lobbying
    • Campaign contributions
    • Litigation
    • Venue shopping
  • Indirect Activities
    • Public relations
    • Grassroots mobilization
    • Coalition building
    • Research and education

AstroTurfing

Modern Examples

  • Definition: Creating artificial grassroots movements
  • Current Examples:
    • Industry-funded citizen groups
    • Corporate-sponsored local movements
    • Social media manipulation campaigns
  • Impact on Policy Process
    • Public perception manipulation
    • Policy agenda influence
    • Legislative pressure

Think Tanks

Research and advocacy organizations focusing on:

  • Policy research
  • Analysis
  • Recommendations
  • Public education

Think Tank Categories

  • Academic Think Tanks
    • Brookings Institution
    • RAND Corporation
  • Advocacy Think Tanks
    • Heritage Foundation
    • Center for American Progress
  • Contract Research Organizations
    • Urban Institute
    • Research Triangle Institute

Think Tank Influence

  • Policy Research
    • Data analysis
    • Policy evaluation
    • Impact assessment
  • Knowledge Translation
    • Policy briefs
    • Media engagement
    • Decision-maker outreach

Think Tank Funding

Funding Sources

  • Private Donors
  • Foundations
  • Corporations
  • Government Contracts
  • Endowments

Impact on Research Focus and Credibility

Corporations and Business

Policy Process Role

  • Direct policy influence
  • Economic stakeholders
  • Implementation partners
  • Resource providers

Corporate Policy Tools

  • Direct Influence
    • Lobbying
    • Campaign contributions
    • Policy research funding
  • Indirect Influence
    • Industry associations
    • Public-private partnerships
    • Economic leverage

Corporate Policy Impact

Key Areas of Influence

  • Regulatory Policy
    • Industry standards
    • Compliance frameworks
    • Environmental regulations
  • Economic Policy
    • Tax policy
    • Trade agreements
    • Labor regulations

Interaction of Actors

  • Policy Domain
    • "A substantive area of public policy such as health care, education, or the environment." - Stone
      • A policy domain can be a single policy or a group of related policies
      • an area where actors compete and compromise

Interaction of Actors

  • Policy Community
    • The group of actors who are involved in a particular policy domain.

Interaction of Actors

  • Subgovernment
    • "A network of groups within the American political system that exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas." - Stone
    • An issue network is a more open version of a subgovernment.
    • Open to numerous actors, interest groups, think tanks, corporations, individuals, etc.
    • Often consists of a few key actors or advocacy coalitions.

Interaction of Actors

  • Iron Triangle
    • "A stable, mutually beneficial political relationship among a congressional committee (or subcommittee), an administrative agency, and organized interests concerned with a particular policy domain." - Stone
      • Example: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the EPA, and the American Petroleum Institute
    • An iron triangle is more closed than an issue network.

Iron Triangle

image of an iron triangle subgovernment relationship

Interaction of Actors

  • Policy Regime
    • "A loosely formed governance structure formed by a policy community around a particularly broad policy domain." - Birkland
    • When a policy domain is broad and spans boundaries of various types, the actors, coalitions, interests, and agencies form a policy regime—a loose governance structure.

Conclusion

  • Unofficial actors play critical roles in the policy process
  • Understanding their interactions is essential for policy analysis
  • Media, parties, interest groups, think tanks, corporations, and individuals shape policy outcomes
  • Complex dynamics and power structures influence policy decisions

Next Time

  • Individuals in the Policy Process
  • King's Letter from the Birmingham Jail