FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE
ACT: FMLA
PUBLIC POLICY
• This is the end product of governmental decision
making.
• It is the course of action or inaction taken by
governmental entities with regard to an issue or
particular set of issues.
• It includes regulatory measures, laws, court
decisions, and funding priorities concerning a given
topic declared by a governmental entity or its
representatives.
PUBLIC AGENDA
• The set of subjects or problems that some significant
section of the public believes is important.
• Once a topic gets the public’s attention, public
opinion is one of the factors that determine whether
the issues are addressed through public policy.
• Elite opinion, especially through the interest group
process, is also important.
PUBLIC OPINION
• These are the attitudes shared by a significant
number of people on matters of government and
politics.
• Factors that influence public opinion include:
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Family
Education
Opinion leaders
Mass media
Occupation
Personal experiences
Race
Place of residence
Etc.
POLICY AGENDA
• “The list of subjects or problems to which
government officials, and people outside of
government closely associated with those officials,
are paying some serious attention at any given
time.”
-John W. Kingdon
• Remember that House Representatives are
elected to two-year terms and Senators are
elected to six-year terms.
• To provide for stability, the framers of the
Constitution staggered elections for
Representatives, so that only a third of the House
is up for reelection every two years, along with
the entire Senate.
• Because of this, a “session” of Congress is two
years long, the amount of time that membership
in the two houses remains the same.
• Any bills that fail to reach the President before the
end of the session must start the process from the
beginning in the next session.
• The FMLA’s story stretches across six congresses.
FMLA GROUPS
• Political PartiesDemocrats
• Josiah and Faith
• Political PartiesRepublicans
• Kasey and Cody
• Feminist Groups
• Cassie, Sarah and
Ashley
• Religious Groups
• Hannah J., Hannah I.
and Jason
• Chamber of
Commerce Groups
(groups promoting and
protecting business
interests)
• Scott and Rachel
• Interest Groups
• Hannah G., Nathan
and Evan
• Unions
• Katie and Noah
YOUR TASK
• Look through the FMLA flowcharts looking for
instances where your assigned group engages in
coalition building, lobbying or tried to influence
public opinion
• You will be asked to report your findings to the class
• Make sure to identify which session of Congress
(98th, 99th, etc.) in which the event occured
GROUP 1 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• Why did the issue of employment leave get on the
policy agenda?
• What was the original issue?
• What public policy resulted?
• What role did compromise play in the political
process?
• How did conflict play a role in the political
process?
• Do you think that conflict over public policy results
in better legislation?
• How might party politics, personal relationships, and
coalition building play a role in the creation of
public policy?
GROUP 2 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• In the 98th Congress, Congressman Berman put his
support behind a bill he thought would fail. Why
would a legislator do this?
• What benefits would it have?
• What drawbacks might it have?
• Why would a legislator vote for a bill he or she did
not support?
• What role should one’s conscience, political party,
and constituents play in how a legislator votes?
• How might personal relationships affect the
legislative process and resulting public policy?
GROUP 3 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• The opposition to the FMLA called themselves “The
Concerned Alliance of Responsible Employers.” How
might the names of organizations or legislation influence
public opinion and/or members of Congress?
• What role do political parties, interests groups, the
media, and individuals play in influencing:
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The public agenda?
Public opinion?
The policy agenda?
Public policy?
• Does the power of each of these groups differ
depending on what they are trying to influence
(agendas, opinions, policy)? Explain.
GROUP 4 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• In order for it to pass, the Family Medical Leave Act
had to be approved by both houses of Congress.
Where does most of the work on legislation occur?
• What advantages and disadvantages are there in
working this way?
• How can party leadership influence the policy
agenda?
• The actual public policy?
• How does committee work affect the policy
agenda?
• The actual public policy?
GROUP 5 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• Given the understanding that nobody expects a bill
to pass in its first session, what might be the
advantages and disadvantages of having a
deliberately slow law-making process?
• If a bill managed to pass out of committee in a
previous session of Congress, what challenges exist
to those who oppose the bill?
• Why might the bills in the Senate and House have
different language?
• What influence would lobbyists have on two
different versions of the same bill?
• Do lobbyists have a greater influence on public
opinion or public policy? Explain.