Private Issues and Public Policy: Locating the Corporate Agenda in Agenda-Setting Theory

Abstract

This research examines attempts by the Business Roundtable (BRT) to influence federal policy agendas regarding four private issues (i.e., policy issues not salient on media and public agendas). BRT's information subsidies are studied along with media coverage, public opinion, and policy agenda developments. Results suggest that BRT uses information subsidies to control the scope of issue conflict and that these subsidies influenced the policy agenda for study issues. Corporate influence on private issues may alter the traditional agenda-setting process, and an alternative, elitist model is proposed.