ABSTRACT

Societal issues are rooted in people’s dissatisfaction with their experience as consumers, employees, members of cause organizations, or victims of dislocation or crises. In addition, some people in the activist third-sector groups have deeper resentments and want to change the status quo. In both cases, people in these groups form interest groups, or, alternatively, existing groups may take up their dissatisfactions. Societal issues also arise from the initiative of so-called public interest groups whose thought leaders and opinion leaders conceive and develop issues for which they seek public support. In both situations, the life cycle of an issue begins with an emerging issue.