FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT: FMLA

PUBLIC POLICY

• This is the end product of governmental decision making. • It is the course of action or inaction taken by

governmental entities with regard to an issue or particular set of issues. • It includes regulatory measures, laws, court

decisions, and funding priorities concerning a given topic declared by a governmental entity or its representatives.

PUBLIC AGENDA

• The set of subjects or problems that some significant section of the public believes is important.• Once a topic gets the public’s attention, public

opinion is one of the factors that determine whether the issues are addressed through public policy.

• Elite opinion, especially through the interest group process, is also important.

PUBLIC OPINION

• These are the attitudes shared by a significant number of people on matters of government and politics. • Factors that influence public opinion include:• Family• Education• Opinion leaders• Mass media• Occupation• Personal experiences• Race• Place of residence• Etc.

POLICY AGENDA

• “The list of subjects or problems to which government officials, and people outside of government closely associated with those officials, are paying some serious attention at any given time.”

-John W. Kingdon

• Remember that House Representatives are elected to two-year terms and Senators are elected to six-year terms. • To provide for stability, the framers of the

Constitution staggered elections for Representatives, so that only a third of the House is up for reelection every two years, along with the entire Senate. • Because of this, a “session” of Congress is two

years long, the amount of time that membership in the two houses remains the same. • Any bills that fail to reach the President before

the end of the session must start the process from the beginning in the next session. • The FMLA’s story stretches across six congresses.

FMLA GROUPS

• Political Parties- Democrats• Josiah and Faith

• Political Parties- Republicans• Kasey and Cody

• Feminist Groups• Cassie, Sarah and

Ashley

• Religious Groups• Hannah J., Hannah I.

and Jason

• Chamber of Commerce Groups (groups promoting and protecting business interests)• Scott and Rachel

• Interest Groups• Hannah G., Nathan

and Evan

• Unions• Katie and Noah

YOUR TASK

• Look through the FMLA flowcharts looking for instances where your assigned group engages in coalition building, lobbying or tried to influence public opinion

• You will be asked to report your findings to the class• Make sure to identify which session of Congress

(98th, 99th, etc.) in which the event occured

GROUP 1 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Why did the issue of employment leave get on the policy agenda?

• What was the original issue? • What public policy resulted?  • What role did compromise play in the political

process? • How did conflict play a role in the political process?  • Do you think that conflict over public policy results in

better legislation? • How might party politics, personal relationships, and

coalition building play a role in the creation of public policy?

GROUP 2 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• In the 98th Congress, Congressman Berman put his support behind a bill he thought would fail. Why would a legislator do this? • What benefits would it have? • What drawbacks might it have? • Why would a legislator vote for a bill he or she did

not support? • What role should one’s conscience, political party,

and constituents play in how a legislator votes? • How might personal relationships affect the

legislative process and resulting public policy?

GROUP 3 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• The opposition to the FMLA called themselves “The Concerned Alliance of Responsible Employers.” How might the names of organizations or legislation influence public opinion and/or members of Congress?

• What role do political parties, interests groups, the media, and individuals play in influencing: • The public agenda? • Public opinion? • The policy agenda?  • Public policy?

• Does the power of each of these groups differ depending on what they are trying to influence (agendas, opinions, policy)? Explain.

GROUP 4 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• In order for it to pass, the Family Medical Leave Act had to be approved by both houses of Congress. Where does most of the work on legislation occur?

• What advantages and disadvantages are there in working this way?

•  How can party leadership influence the policy agenda? • The actual public policy?

• How does committee work affect the policy agenda? • The actual public policy?

GROUP 5 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Given the understanding that nobody expects a bill to pass in its first session, what might be the advantages and disadvantages of having a deliberately slow law-making process?

• If a bill managed to pass out of committee in a previous session of Congress, what challenges exist to those who oppose the bill?

• Why might the bills in the Senate and House have different language?

• What influence would lobbyists have on two different versions of the same bill?

• Do lobbyists have a greater influence on public opinion or public policy? Explain.