John Kingdon as an Agenda Item

Congratulations to John W. Kingdon for receiving the 1994 "Aaron Wildavsky Award." Kingdon, who studied under Aaron Wildavsky as an Oberlin College undergraduate, is Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan. The Aaron Wildavsky Award, "for an enduring contribution to the study of public policy," recognizes the lasting importance of Kingdon's 1984 book, Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies.

What can one say about a book well-known by everyone in public policy and political science? Did you know that Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies is just as likely to be read by law students as by aspiring doctors? In a testament to Kingdon's wide-reaching influence, Agendas is used in law school courses on legislative intent, business school offerings on government, and health policy classes at medical schools.

Academic works rarely reach so many fields or students. Read by thousands of undergraduates every semester, Agendas is also required at every major public policy school. As a pedagogical tool, Kingdon's book has been wildly successful. Among other things, it introduces students to a wide range of theory, and Kingdon's general framework -- incorporating problem streams, policy communities, and political forces -- is backed up with clever and convincing empirical work.

Of course, it is often damning with faint praise to say that someone's work is a good pedagogical tool. As some people tried to teach us in graduate school, many "great" works in public policy, public administration, and political science are darn near impenetrable. Instead, Kingdon's book is readable, but it is not only read by students. Just look in the Social Sciences Citation Index for proof.

For ten consecutive years, the number of academic articles citing Kingdon's Agendas has grown. Since 1990, the fastest growth has been in Sociology, History and Law Journals. In 1991, 62 percent of the citations to Kingdon's book were found in Political Science, Public Policy, and Public Administration journals. By 1993, as Kingdon's influence continued spreading, that number dropped to 36 percent.

What makes Agendas so useful to researchers and teachers alike? First, Kingdon asks big questions, including "How do subjects come to officials' attention? How are the alternatives from which they choose generated? How is the governmental agenda set? Why does an idea's time come when it does" (p.vii)? Very few scholars had tried to solve this bundle of problems with a rigorous blend of theory and empiricism. None, before Kingdon, had succeeded.

Second, Agendas is a tribute to multiple research methods. Kingdon identifies Washington "players" in health and transportation policy, no matter the branch of government or interest group. Thanks to Kingdon's careful ear and good interview skills (familiar to readers of his earlier book on congressional voting), Kingdon systematically taps into the policy expertise of insiders.

Third, people in policy communities turn to Agendas to understand what is likely to happen to their ideas and to learn about the possibilities for linking timeworn solutions to episodic problems. This is where Kingdon's work is having it's biggest impact, helping those on the front lines of public policy to think systematically about how and when their proposals might make a difference or find an audience.

Think systematically about how and when proposals can make a difference or find an audience? Not easy. John Kingdon's Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policy has found an audience, and it has made a difference.

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