Abstract:The article explores how political tensions developed around the issue of Canadian water export, how policy solutions and alternatives to the problem were offered, and how finally it came to be recognized by the national government. The water export issue reached the formal agenda after a lengthy period of being denied serious consideration. However, it is arguable that agendas are set if an issue receives attention from policy decision makers. This is because an issue's ascension to agenda status is not an in… Show more
“…The latter supports the notion of policy agenda setting being a rather closed process, determined mainly by characteristics of the political system and the decision makers rather than by characteristics of the surrounding problem environment. Based on the evidence of problem responsiveness found in issue‐level studies (e.g., Bakenova, ; Baumgartner & Jones, ; Green‐Pedersen & Wilkerson, ; True, ), however, we do expect to see societal problems reflected in the size of policy agendas, as stated in hypothesis 1: Hypothesis 1: On average, policymaking systems facing more severe societal problems have larger policy agendas .…”
Section: Explaining the Size Of Policy Agendasmentioning
Most research on policy agendas is based on the assumption that space on the agenda is fixed and, hence, focuses on how problems compete for this limited agenda space. This article holds that policy agendas may be limited but not fixed, meaning that problems may not always be traded off but confronted through a larger policy agenda. Based on an extensive collection of local council agendas from 98 Danish municipalities over time, this article investigates variations in agenda size across local governments and examines the extent to which this reflects the local problem environment. The analysis reveals that a large council agenda arises in response to an unfriendly problem environment, particularly if there are many committees to channel problems onto the agenda and, to a lesser extent, if center-left parties hold office.
“…The latter supports the notion of policy agenda setting being a rather closed process, determined mainly by characteristics of the political system and the decision makers rather than by characteristics of the surrounding problem environment. Based on the evidence of problem responsiveness found in issue‐level studies (e.g., Bakenova, ; Baumgartner & Jones, ; Green‐Pedersen & Wilkerson, ; True, ), however, we do expect to see societal problems reflected in the size of policy agendas, as stated in hypothesis 1: Hypothesis 1: On average, policymaking systems facing more severe societal problems have larger policy agendas .…”
Section: Explaining the Size Of Policy Agendasmentioning
Most research on policy agendas is based on the assumption that space on the agenda is fixed and, hence, focuses on how problems compete for this limited agenda space. This article holds that policy agendas may be limited but not fixed, meaning that problems may not always be traded off but confronted through a larger policy agenda. Based on an extensive collection of local council agendas from 98 Danish municipalities over time, this article investigates variations in agenda size across local governments and examines the extent to which this reflects the local problem environment. The analysis reveals that a large council agenda arises in response to an unfriendly problem environment, particularly if there are many committees to channel problems onto the agenda and, to a lesser extent, if center-left parties hold office.
“…In the decade after 1988 tension and confusion about the water export issue reached its highest point of attention in the country (Bakenova 2008). It was also a period when Canadian nationalism, with its idea of strong state, began to lose ground to the political forces of pro‐market global orientation.…”
Section: The Market‐centered Policy Agendamentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The geographical link between the countries, the relatively porous nature of the border, and the overwhelming economic and cultural presence of the United States in the lives of Canadians all serve to magnify its potential to exert pressure for access to Canadian water. The fear of water transfer to the dry areas of North America comprised the topic for roughly half of the discussions on water in the Canadian parliament from the early 1960s until 2002 and forms the view of the general public (Bakenova 2004). Some Canadians believe that it is inevitable that Canada would have to export water to the United States at some point and that if Canada refuses to do it voluntarily, the chances are high that their southern neighbor would take it anyway (Environics Research Group 1998).…”
Section: Dynamics Of the National Security Agendamentioning
Canadian water export is an important, yet not an autonomous, policy in its own right that would justify direct governmental intervention. Water export policy should be understood as a by‐product of larger and more imperative national governmental agendas such as the institutionalization of neoliberal projects, perceived national security concerns, and Canadian federal–provincial relations. Consideration of these agendas as primary movers and shapers of water export policy in Canada helps to fill in contextual gaps and bring into play a broader spectrum of evidence. Further, this approach may refine our understanding of the phenomenon and show that an explanation for the emergence of the policy problem under investigation could be found in the policies surrounding it.
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