2017/05/13 by Erin Marie-Sergison Krcatovich, Erin Marie‐Sergison Krcatovich, Laura A. Reese
Veterinary · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies #Human-Animal Interaction Studies #Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
paper · doi:10.1093/socpro/spx015
Public policy related to animal issues has not been well explored in the urban politics literature. We argue that concerns related to animal welfare are increasingly pressing in many cities yet sustained attention to them appears absent from the urban policy agenda. Using the multiple streams approach, this research examines animal welfare policy in the urban context and suggests why this policy area appears not to have gained a consistent place on the public agenda. Based on a content analysis of media reporting in the Detroit metropolitan area it appears that policy entrepreneurs were unable to access the public agenda through the policy window opened by a major focusing event because of conflicting narratives about the nature of the problem, dissension among policy entrepreneurs themselves, and a lack of debate about potential policy solutions.