Arvy L.

Agustin
MGM 510: E-Governance in the Public Sector
Prof. Carmelo Bihasa
04 May 2019

ABSTRACT

DISADVANTAGES OF E-GOVERNMENT

Agenda setting is the first step in the public policy process. Cobb and Ross characterized it as the
policy of selecting issues for active consideration, but what happens after public issues agenda status?
This paper introduces what we call the Problem Definition. It is when public issues become part of that
set of items explicitly up for the active and serious consideration of authoritative decision makers.

Agenda setting answers the question of where do policies come from. Two main sets of
explanation have been advanced in the literature. First is the Technocratic Model which explains that
policy change is the result of policymakers changing their preferences and adapting their goals to new
conditions. It also points out that learning is a part and parcel of the policy process cycle which enables
policymakers to engage in policy innovation. The second model is called the Political Model and it
explains policy development as a result of changes in the configuration of dominant interests, pursuing
two main line of inquiries: Policy Innovation and Policy Window.

In the context of policy analysis, problem definition is the most crucial and demanding task
facing the analyst. However, conceptualizing problem definition as a political process has attracted little
attention. Policy analysis is defined as creating and crafting problems worth solving. In policy analysis,
problems are either Analytical Construct or Political Construct.

To further explore and understand the distinction between Agenda Setting and Problem
Definition, the social protest in Israel, the 1990s tents protest, will be discuss. It is the protest that was
able to push the issue on the national agenda, but had no influence on the subsequent stage. It will
focus on the government reaction and the way in successfully disintegrated the movement.