Final answer:
The "three streams" model of policymaking presents policy change as a confluence of problems, policies, and political streams. The model is characterized by multilevel involvement of actors such as interest groups, legislators, and bureaucrats, and is consistent with the complex policymaking process involving distinct phases. Lobbying by state and local government, the influence of policy advocates and analysts, and specialized policy areas all act consistently with this model.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "three streams" model of policymaking is a framework that seeks to explain how various elements interact in the creation of public policy. According to this model, policy change is the result of the flow and merging of three streams: problems, policies, and politics. These streams flow independently until a critical point is reached where they can be coupled together by policy entrepreneurs. This model suggests that a range of factors, from public opinion and elections to lobbying by interest groups and state officials, shape policy decisions. Specific examples of these processes are the involvement of state and local governments' lobbying efforts detailed by organizations such as the National Governors Association, and the role of policy advocates and policy analysts in influencing public policy.
Consistent with this model is the understanding that policy formation is a multilevel process involving various actors, such as interest groups, legislators, and agency bureaucrats, often described in terms of iron triangles or more modern interpretations like issue networks. The public policy process also involves distinctive phases like problem identification, agenda setting, policy implementation, and policy evaluation. Key policy areas like social welfare, science, education, and business regulation each have their own dynamics and participants influencing policymaking.