ABSTRACT
This chapter considers many components of problem formation to understand the selection of problems at a given point and time, and why some periods in time are marked by greater change than other times. It also considers how policy makers define problems and how this problem definition influences the policies that can be constructed by exploring the concept of framing, target populations, timing, policy windows, and punctuated equilibrium. Framing consists of the strategic decisions made to amplify a policy problem to garner support and attention to the concerning conditions. To understand the concept of framing, consider how a picture frame might crop a larger image. The agenda setting component of policy often includes tethering problems and solutions together in an irrational, unorganized process, one that March and Olsen call "organized anarchy." A policy window is a conceptual way of thinking about how and why some conditions become policy problems and others do not.
