Policy agenda-setting studies: an overview of Brazilian research

Abstract

This article aims to present a brief reflection on the studies in the field of the public policy agenda. To this end, the text presents the main theoretical and methodological developments on the subject found in the international literature, with an emphasis on three fundamental contributions: the studies developed by Cobb and Elder in the 1970s; John Kingdon’s multiple streams model in the 1980s; and Baumgartner and Jones’ propositions from the 1990s until the present. Next, we seek to understand how policy agenda-setting studies have been developed in Brazil. To do so, we conduct a mapping of the Brazilian academic production, considering theses, dissertations, and articles published in journals between 2000 and 2018. In conclusion, we note the growing expansion of agenda studies in Brazil, and we draw attention to some of the characteristics of these works, such as the preferred policy areas and the theoretical and methodological frameworks favored by researchers, among other aspects.

Getting to the root of the problem: the international and domestic politics of junk food industry regulation in Latin America

“…According to this study, ‘high-end’ products are those beverages that include a high level of sugar, sodium, energy and fat (ibid). Other recent studies found that children’s exposure to TV advertisements of high-end foods has dramatically declined 1 year after the ‘Chilean Law’s’ passage ( Capella and Niedhardt, 2020 ). In fact, surveys of 879 preschool children and 753 adolescents in middle-lower and lower-income neighbourhoods in Santiago, conducted by Dillman Carpentier et al.…”

“…Specifically, NTIR builds upon the political science literature emphasizing the distinction between the emergence of systemic issues in society and their placement on formal agendas and those government institutions reaching out to and mobilizing society’s interests in support of new legislation within government ( Cobb et al. , 1976 ), an approach that has been overlooked due to recent scholars’ focus on agenda-setting processes within institutions ( Capella, 2020 ). Building on Capella’s (2020) concerns, the author’s emphasis on ‘supportive institutions’ and ‘policy advocates’ nevertheless rejuvenates the importance of focusing on the relationship between society and influential agenda-setting actors within the government.…”

“…, 1976 ), an approach that has been overlooked due to recent scholars’ focus on agenda-setting processes within institutions ( Capella, 2020 ). Building on Capella’s (2020) concerns, the author’s emphasis on ‘supportive institutions’ and ‘policy advocates’ nevertheless rejuvenates the importance of focusing on the relationship between society and influential agenda-setting actors within the government. Furthermore, the NTIR framework builds on Tsebelis and Rasch’s (2011) emphasis on the importance of constitutional institutional designs amplifying the power of agenda setters (e.g.…”

Política pública para la población adulta mayor e impacto de la Pensión Asistencial del Programa «Bono de Desarrollo Humano» en Ecuador

“…Los datos también reflejan que Ecuador está entre los países con la proporción más alta de personas de 65 años y más que tienen dificultad para desarrollar actividades de la vida diaria (Ochoa et al, 2021), con el agravante generado por el débil sistema de cuidados para la dependencia (Waters et al, 2020). El análisis de la agenda de las políticas, como uno de los puntos neurálgicos de estudio, ha tenido permanentemente su espacio propio de reflexión e investigación (Alzate & Romo, 2017;Baumgartner et al, 2020;Niedhardt, 2020). La agenda entraña la definición del problema que finalmente ha triunfado en la lucha por la definición de ciertas representaciones de los temas públicos, con respuestas que no siempre son las óptimas.…”

“…La agenda pública en la que se inscriben los problemas y demandas de los actores ha recibido una amplia atención política y académica (Baumgartner et al, 2020;Gilardi et al, 2022;Gonçalves & Jones, 2020;Niedhardt, 2020); especialmente la identificación de las causales o aspectos que hacen que se prioricen ciertos problemas y no otros, o que se tomen ciertas decisiones, mientras que otras son descartadas. Subirats (2001) y Fontaine (2015) nos recuerdan que aquello es el resultado de la definición del problema que ha resultado triunfante en el debate público y que, lo que finalmente se hace, no siempre es la solución racional ni óptima, ni la que responde al problema más grave.…”