The Production Line Model of Policy-Making
Agenda-Setting
Evaluation
Formulation
Implementation
Adoption/
Legitimation
Government Institutions/Actors
Agenda-Setting
Agenda-setting involves two basic activities: (1) problem
identification and (2) priority-setting. Problems may be
identified by a wide variety of political actors, both inside
and outside of government, who may have competing
perceptions of the problem’s cause, scope, and severity.
Priority-setting occurs when moving problems from the
public agenda to the official agenda. Determining which
problems are priorities and deserve government’s attention
is an issue of determining “who gets access?” There are
many points of access in the American political system
because there is no single official agenda.
Agenda-Setting
Policy formulation involves working out the details
of alternative strategies to address a problem
placed on a government institution’s agenda. The
formulation of alternative policy strategies may be
carried out by professional, scientific policy
analysts and planners, but more often it is an
informal process in which entities that are affected
by a problem and any potential policy response
attempt to persuade government decision-makers
of the merits of their preferred solution. In other
words, formulation is a political rather than a
rational process. Political actors both inside and
outside of government may be involved in this
stage of policy-making.
Formulation
Agenda-Setting
In the adoption/legitimation stage, government
officially accepts a particular course of action from
among the alternatives produced in the formulation
stage [adoption means “choosing”]. A policy
statement is adopted. Policy statements may take
several forms. Policy statements must be adopted
by government institutions because (in American
society) only government is recognized as having
legitimate authority to impose binding decisions on
society. This legitimacy is conferred by a
legal/constitutional process.
Adoption/
Legitimation
Government Institutions/Actors
Formulation
Agenda-Setting
Implementation
Implementation involves doing the things to or
for target groups that have been authorized by
the policy statement. However, implementation
is not as mechanical as mere administration. It
is itself a dynamic, political process involving
Formulation
activities characteristic of each of
the five stages
of the broader policy-making process. Although
implementing actions are generally carried out
by a government bureaucracy, private
individuals or businesses or non-profit agencies
may have some implementation responsibilities
as well.
Adoption/
Legitimation
Government Institutions/Actors
Agenda-Setting
Evaluation
Implementation
Evaluation is the measurement of policy
performance and consequences in terms of
policy goals and other standards. Policy
evaluations may be conducted formally by policy
analysts in government agencies, “policy thinktanks,” or the news media, or informally by just
about anyone. Often informal, non-scientific
evaluations shape perceptions of policy
effectiveness more than rigorous, scientific
analyses. “Feedback” occurs as a result of
evaluationAdoption/
so that policy may be adjusted at any
time. As Legitimation
a consequence, old problems may be
redefined or new problems may be identified and
the policy-making process begins again. Thus,
policy-making is a continual or cyclical process.
Government Institutions/Actors