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Executive and Legislative Agendas

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Policy Agendas in Australia
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Abstract

This chapter is the first of the major empirical chapters, with 18 figures and two tables. It analyses the executive and legislative agendas, finding substantial correspondence in many codes. Where they diverge is often because legislation is not needed for the executive to act in a particular policy domain. The chapter demonstrates the waning importance of defence and agriculture as well as transport and government operations, and significant increases in attention to health and social welfare – consistent with findings around the world. Also in line with other CAP analysis, neither elections nor parties are important drivers of agenda change, even after watershed elections. Party influence on attention change is low but will be higher for policy content. We find some evidence of focused adaption and some reframing of issues.

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Dowding, K., Martin, A. (2017). Executive and Legislative Agendas. In: Policy Agendas in Australia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40805-7_5

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