Colin Lenihan
American Public Policy
Final Research Paper
Application of Advocacy Coalition Framework & Policy Feedback Theory: Analysis of the Higher Education Act (HEA)
The concept of politics originates from the Greek “polis”, representing elements of government, state, and community. Politics were perceived as a way in which to create the ideal social order. Although this idea may seem infeasible, it provides the means to produce an enhanced society, than the one before. The older you get and the more educated you become you realize, like many things in life, the importance of politics. Especially as a post-secondary student I am realizing the direct influence that public policies have on my life. Throughout this paper I will use political…show more content… This framework can be used to analyze policy change over a long period of time by understanding political context via stakeholder analysis. The Policy Feedback theory is another framework used to understand how policy creation occurs in a context that is directly affected by already existing policies. Throughout this paper I will analyze the history and progress of the Higher Education Act (HEA) using various political frameworks in order to better understand how a specific public policy affects my education and life directly. President Johnson enacted the Higher Education Act (HEA) in 1965 as part of his Great Society agenda of domestic programs. The HEA is a law that, put simply, controls how federal dollars are awarded to colleges and students. The main focus was to provide financial assistance and resources for students, especially low income, pursuing post secondary and higher education. The original HEA included six titles: Title I; which provides funding for extension and continuation of education programs, Title II; which allocates money to enhance library collections, Title III; which creates provisions for strengthening…show more content… The conceptual framework focuses on the belief systems of advocacy coalitions within policy subsystems as the critical vehicle for understanding the role of policy analysis in policy-oriented learning and the effects on governmental programs. This fundamental idea could have influenced the establishment of the two-party system in the United States. These core beliefs include a problem’s attention, causes, ability to solve the problem, and solutions. Policy beliefs are unlikely to change unless a major focusing event occurs or the coalition’s members accept new knowledge about policies. Policies are unlikely to change unless the status quo changes or a superior power implements a change. This framework can be used to explain how the lenders formulate coalitions to influence politics and represent their own interest within the realm of higher education policy. The formulation took place when the Clinton administration attempted to alter their prior arrangements within student lending. These coalitions formed strategies such as the creation of a PAC, increased lobbying, and increased political capacity; which in turn affected the implementation of Clinton’s direct lending plan. In the same regards, an increase in voter participation and investigative reports on lender practices allowed Democrats to formulate it’s own coalition and strategies to
