Behind the Scenes of Big Governance Issues

Governments receive overwhelming flows of information on many kinds of problems. While expectations are to address them all, governments have limited capacity and they face political costs when prioritizing issues. Thus they focus on some problems, ignoring others.

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This think tank session dealt with the way in which governments focus on big governance issues, such as economic recovery, securing energy resources, managing migration and addressing threats to public safety. What is behind the scenes of priorities set by governments? Whose voices are heard in this process and how do the media and public opinion play a part in lifting issues to the top of the agenda? What new issues will enter the scope in the coming time? These questions were central in this session, chaired by Arco Timmermans.

This think tank session was organized by the Campus The Hague Leiden University.

Behind the Scenes of Big Governance Issues
Behind the Scenes of Big Governance Issues

Based on this closed event, the Montesquieu Institute organizes in the Fall 2013 a lecture series that is open to students and professionals . It is entitled: "Big issues of governance today and tomorrow".

When ‘new’ and ‘hot’ issues hit the headlines and enter the political agenda, they often push ‘old’ issues aside. How are such issues detected? What are the consequences for agenda setting? And what policy responses follow? These questions and other will be put central in this year's Lecture Series.

More information about this event can be found here or you can directly subscribe here.