ABSTRACT
The central concern of this essay is a theoretical explication of how issues are chosen for inclusion in the public policy agenda of selected Sub-Saharan African countries. In established constitutional democracies such as the United States, government powers are generally exercised within a framework of rules, a constitution that defines the duties and functions of government institutions, the rights of citizens and limitations on the powers of the government. Thus, issues in public policy agenda are largely dictated by a ‘politics process model’ based on the issue, the actors, their interests and the resources they have and are willing to commit to securing their preferred outcome. The dynamic process of social interactions in pursuit of a particular good therefore, leads to unanticipated outcomes with rewards for some and losses for others. It is then, the anticipation of future gains by those that lost previously that compels them to continuously engage in the process with differential outcomes based on compromise, consensus and bargaining.
