Handbook of Public Policy Agenda Setting

This thoroughly revised and updated second edition explores how and why private matters become public issues and occasionally government priorities, drawing on updated contextual studies that speak to more recent scholarship. It builds upon the previous edition’s comprehensive overview of the perspectives and institutions involved in setting the government’s agenda.

Nikolaos Zahariadis and Kristin Taylor bring together contributions from leading academics across the world, examining public policy agenda setting in its historical context. The second edition Handbook comprehensively covers agenda setting with updated entries on media effects and policy inaction, amongst others, reflecting advancements in the understanding of agenda setting since the first edition. Featuring new chapters on Narrative Policy Framework, policy knowledge and epistemic communities, authors further dissect the theoretical development and institutional dimensions of agenda setting in the United Nations. The Handbook also addresses sub-national, national, and international governance levels, shedding light on agenda setting during crises.



The second edition Handbook remains an essential tool for students and academics in political science and public policy. Its up-to-date insights into agenda setting will greatly benefit policymakers and practitioners in politics, public administration and communications.