The Research In The Governmental Policy Agenda Setting Of The Theory Of Multiple–streams In The Sight Of Paradigm Of Policy-making

As the logical starting point of the whole policy-making progress, the opening of policy agenda means that certain social issue has ascended to the level of policy issue, which the government determines to solve through its limited resources. Therefore, the setting of policy agenda is so important that could affect the whole policy-making progress.From the point of decision-making, the whole policymaking progress roughly consists of two fundamental decision points: pre-decision-making-point and post-decision-making-point. Lying between social issues and policy issues, it is obviously that “pre-decision-making point” decides which social issue should be listed as policy issue and then turned into the government’s agenda; while existing between policy planning and policy decision-making, “post-decision-making point” needs a final decision, which is the so-called policy, among numerous solutions.Since the development of Policy Sciences, a lot of research in “post-decision-making” have been conducted, while little research in “pre-decision-making” could be found, which seems to be a “black box”. The purpose of this thesis is to open the “black box”, exploring why the government choose certain issue to solve rather than others.From the development of history, the development of research in policy agenda needs to undergo two social stages, which would generate two paradigms of policy agenda setting in correspondence. These two stages consist of regulative society and administrative society, while the two paradigms in correspondence are recessed(traditional) paradigm of policy agenda setting and administrative paradigm of policy agenda setting. This thesis would first conduct descriptive and normative analysis in the former one and then expound the latter in detail based on the Multiple-Streams Theory proposed by John Kingdon, the US policy scientist.Kingdon’s theory is primarily based on three streams: problem stream, policy stream and political stream. Plainly speaking, such three streams in the Multiple-Streams Theory could be explained as three factors for success in ancient Chinese: favorable climatic, geographical and human conditions, which refer to political stream, problem stream and policy stream correspondingly. Political stream responses to the influence of political factors on solutions. Focusing on the substance of policy issues and referring mainly to critical incidents, problem stream conceptualizes specific social issues as policy issues through the study in critical incidents. While policy stream considers the technical feasibility and handleability in solving policy issues as well as the public’s acceptance of solutions.To enhance the theoretical authority and practical applicability of the Multiple-Streams Theory, this thesis uses the method of case analysis, analyzing the abolishment of the institution of indoctrination through labour in China. Through interpreting this case with multiple streams, this thesis strives to Sinicize the Multiple-Streams Theory as well as extend and enrich the specific connotation of the Multiple-Streams Theory.After conducting the descriptive, normative and empirical analysis of the Multiple-Streams Theory, this thesis aims to advance the optimization of China’s policy agenda setting through applying the Multiple-Streams Theory. Based on the perspective of multiple streams, this thesis strives to explore and analyze the path for advancement from such aspects as problem stream, policy stream and political stream. The whole logic of the advancement develops from microscopic view to macroscopic view, ranging from the incident itself to the involvement of outside world, and then to political atmosphere. Namely, it is an elementary path that deepens and evolves gradually: first, perfecting the trigger mechanism of issues; second, encouraging the participation of policy subject; third, creating a sound political atmosphere; fourth, promoting the integration of multiple streams.Through the comprehensive, deep and systematic study in the Multiple-Streams Theory, this thesis will provide a theoretical support and present a constructive feedback to the government for the rationalization of its policy agenda setting, further carrying forward the progress of scientification and democratization in China’s decision-making process.