What factors in the policy-making process determine the priority given to a policy issue?

• Author: Erisa Xhixho
• Position: University of Tirana
• Pages: 52-59

ISSN 2410-3918 Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences Vol 1 No 1

Acces online at www.iipccl.org IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania March 2015

52

What factors in the policy-making process determine the priority given to a

policy issue?

MA. Erisa Xhixho

University of Tirana

Abstract

Agenda setting is the process by which problems and alternative solutions gain or lose public

attention (Birkland T. (2007), p.63; Werner J. and Wegrich K. (2007), p.46.). e main factor that

determine an issue that it could become a priority, drawing the attention of decision makers, the

public, reaching for it to become part of the agenda are: “Window of Opportunity”, which is a

strategy used by less powerful groups, which are beneting from the fact that powerful groups in

certain situations may lose control of the agenda, they manage this circumstances to make their

case to the priority. Another factor are the “Focus Event” that emphasizes the fact that unexpected

events that shock the public opinion, as were the cases of corruption of ocials, case “Snowden”

or 11 September in the USA, aecting an issue that directly lead the decision-making agenda.

Advocacy coalitions, is a form that use less powerful groups by joining on the basis of certain

principles, values , beliefs they have about a particular issue. is alliance of values , resources and

coordination of actions helps to advance the issue becoming a priority. “Venue shop” as a factor

that aims to reach groups through institutions, be heard, be able to attract the attention of decision

makers, also using the media as a very important factor nowadays for sensitizing public opinion

on the issue and inuence in order to become a priority issue. “Policy network” has come as a need

of developing a relationship between government and the private sector, thus forming a power

dependency relationship mainly the exchange of resources and thereby inuencing the political

agenda on particular issues.

erefore in this article I will try to argue that these factors aect in various ways becoming

determinant that the issue be the priority on the decision agenda.

Also, I can say that aer the development of the analysis, I think that the two factors have a greater

inuence in policy-process “Advocacy coalitions” and “Focus Event”.

Keywords: window of opportunity, policy-making process, policy issue.

“Window of opportunity”

Diversity of issues and the existence of powerful groups that have inuence in the

decision-making agenda will form monopolies Policy (Birkland T. (2007) p.67; Werner

J. and Wegrich K. (2007), p.47). But despite this situation Bamagartner and Jones argue

the fact that “when powerful groups lose their control of the agenda, less powerful groups

can enter policy debate and gain attention to their issue. Hence, this increase in attention

towards the problem can change the behavior of people towards these powerful groups,

making that break up monopolies Policy (Brikland T. 2007) p.68). is leads to less

disadvantaged groups to exploit this situation to advance their case in the agenda. One

of the most successful strategies is what the Kingdom (1995) would call the “Window

of Opportunity”, which would make it possible for disadvantaged groups to attract the