Actor Interaction & Agenda Change

POSC 315 — Lecture 13.4

Policy Actors – The Cast

  • Government officials: elected + bureaucratic.
  • Organized interests: firms, unions, NGOs.
  • Epistemic communities: scientists, policy analysts.
  • Mass public & media: shape narratives.

Policy change is relational: who talks to whom with what resources?

Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) — 30‑Second Version

  • Policy subsystem = turf where actors contest ideas.
  • Coalitions share deep‑core and policy‑core beliefs.
  • Change arises via learning, external shocks, or negotiated agreements.

Mini‑Case: U.S. Climate Policy

  • Pro‑mitigation coalition: NGOs, clean‑tech firms, youth activists.
  • Economic‑growth coalition: fossil industries, some labor, growth‑first think tanks.
  • Paris targets emerge from shifting coalition balance + external shocks (extreme weather).

Incrementalism vs Punctuated Equilibrium

Feature Incrementalism PET
Tempo Slow, continuous Long stability + sudden jumps
Driver Bounded rationality Agenda disruption events
Example Gradual minimum‑wage hikes 2008 crisis → Dodd‑Frank

Both theories fit within a post‑positivist lens acknowledging cognitive limits and institutional friction.

Kingdon’s Three Streams Model

  • Problem: indicators + focusing events.
  • Policy: ideas floating in the “primeval soup.”
  • Politics: elections, mood, interest mobilization.
  • Policy window opens when streams couple → entrepreneurs push solutions.

Quick Application: Telehealth (2020)

  • Pandemic = focusing event.
  • Mature tech proposals ready.
  • Bipartisan politics.
    → CMS waivers become permanent coverage.

Connecting Back to Policy Science Paradigms

Framework Paradigm Fit Why It Matters
ACF Post‑positivist Belief‑driven learning; falsifiable sub‑hypotheses
Incrementalism Constructivist Muddling framed by subjective satisficing
PET Critical/positivist hybrid Power monopolies & attention cycles
Kingdon Symbolic interactionist edge Meaningful coupling of ideas & politics

Selecting a framework implies epistemological commitments and shapes the data you seek.

Synthesis – No One‑Size Theory

  • Use ACF to map coalitions, PET to predict shocks, Incrementalism to forecast small tweaks, Kingdon to spot windows.
  • Blend frameworks for richer explanations — methodological pluralism again.

Wrap‑Up

  • Actor interactions translate values and evidence into policy action.
  • Understanding competing theories helps you diagnose stagnation and strategize change.

Discussion Prompts

  1. Which framework best captures the evolution of your memo topic this semester?
  2. Can you identify an upcoming policy window in the news cycle? What stream is missing?
  3. How might critical‑theory insights refine an ACF map of climate policy?

The End — Thanks!

Stay curious, stay critical, and keep puzzling productively.