January 17, 2006POLS 4300.06

• Hogwood and Gunn, Chaps 5-7, 67-127

• Focus on Issue Analysis: Search, Filtration, Definition

• Issue Search: an attempt to isolate a potential/actual problem at a sufficiently early stage (versus ‘firefighting’)

• While also realizing that issues get on policy agendas for many reasons

January 17, 2006POLS 4300.06

• Continuum from regularly recurring to rarely occurring and unique issues

• Combined with a continuum from standardized to case by case solutions

• 6 reasons issues most likely to be on agenda, p. 68.

• 5 reasons for and against active issue search, pp. 69-72

January 17, 2006POLS 4300.06

• Distinctive aspects of public sector issue search, pp. 73-76

• External elements in issue search, 76-78

• Methods of more active search, 78-85

• The active issue search function and its institutional setting, 85-87

• The important role of politics in influencing issue search in a democracy

January 17, 2006POLS 4300.06

• Issue Filtration, pp. 88-107

• Filtration: deciding how to decide

• Selection of an appropriate method of analysis

• Context: Criteria for issue filtration, 91-99

• Procedures for issue filtration, 99-107

• Concentrate on tables and figures, 100-107, the need for ‘mixed scanning’

January 17, 2006POLS 4300.06

• Issue definition, pp. 108-127

• Meaning: 5 concerns pp. 108-110

• Why so difficult and what it portends

• Values, forecasting and issue definition, pp.111-115

• Improving/approaching issue definition: considerations, pp. 114-127

• Page 122, Factors explaining vandalism