The Policy Dynamics of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000

This study examines the creation and implementation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000 (TVPA). This research builds on the literature in the area of the policy-making process, specifically focusing on the issue attention cycle, agenda setting, and implementation. This study begins with a focus on the role the media plays in framing the issue, turns to a consideration of Congress and the passage of the TVPA, and concludes with an examination of the implementation of the act through executive branch use of sanctions. I suggest that human trafficking was framed as a criminal justice issue by both the media and Congress, thus shaping the implementation of the policy at home and abroad.