FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT: FMLA

PUBLIC POLICY This is the end product of governmental decision making. It is the course of action or inaction taken by governmental entities with regard to an issue or particular set of issues. It includes regulatory measures, laws, court decisions, and funding priorities concerning a given topic declared by a governmental entity or its representatives.

PUBLIC AGENDA The set of subjects or problems that some significant section of the public believes is important. Once a topic gets the public’s attention, public opinion is one of the factors that determine whether the issues are addressed through public policy. Elite opinion, especially through the interest group process, is also important.

PUBLIC OPINION These are the attitudes shared by a significant number of people on matters of government and politics. Factors that influence public opinion include: Family Education Opinion leaders Mass media Occupation Personal experiences Race Place of residence Etc.

POLICY AGENDA “The list of subjects or problems to which government officials, and people outside of government closely associated with those officials, are paying some serious attention at any given time.” -John W. Kingdon

Remember that House Representatives are elected to two-year terms and Senators are elected to six-year terms. To provide for stability, the framers of the Constitution staggered elections for Representatives, so that only a third of the House is up for reelection every two years, along with the entire Senate. Because of this, a “session” of Congress is two years long, the amount of time that membership in the two houses remains the same. Any bills that fail to reach the President before the end of the session must start the process from the beginning in the next session. The FMLA’s story stretches across six congresses.

FMLA GROUPS Political Parties- Democrats Josiah and Faith Political Parties- Republicans Kasey and Cody Feminist Groups Cassie, Sarah and Ashley Religious Groups Hannah J., Hannah I. and Jason Chamber of Commerce Groups (groups promoting and protecting business interests) Scott and Rachel Interest Groups Hannah G., Nathan and Evan Unions Katie and Noah

YOUR TASK Look through the FMLA flowcharts looking for instances where your assigned group engages in coalition building, lobbying or tried to influence public opinion You will be asked to report your findings to the class Make sure to identify which session of Congress (98 th, 99 th, etc.) in which the event occured

GROUP 1 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Why did the issue of employment leave get on the policy agenda? What was the original issue? What public policy resulted? What role did compromise play in the political process? How did conflict play a role in the political process? Do you think that conflict over public policy results in better legislation? How might party politics, personal relationships, and coalition building play a role in the creation of public policy?

GROUP 2 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS In the 98 th Congress, Congressman Berman put his support behind a bill he thought would fail. Why would a legislator do this? What benefits would it have? What drawbacks might it have? Why would a legislator vote for a bill he or she did not support? What role should one’s conscience, political party, and constituents play in how a legislator votes? How might personal relationships affect the legislative process and resulting public policy?

GROUP 3 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS The opposition to the FMLA called themselves “The Concerned Alliance of Responsible Employers.” How might the names of organizations or legislation influence public opinion and/or members of Congress? What role do political parties, interests groups, the media, and individuals play in influencing: The public agenda? Public opinion? The policy agenda? Public policy? Does the power of each of these groups differ depending on what they are trying to influence (agendas, opinions, policy)? Explain.

GROUP 4 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS In order for it to pass, the Family Medical Leave Act had to be approved by both houses of Congress. Where does most of the work on legislation occur? What advantages and disadvantages are there in working this way? How can party leadership influence the policy agenda? The actual public policy? How does committee work affect the policy agenda? The actual public policy?

GROUP 5 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Given the understanding that nobody expects a bill to pass in its first session, what might be the advantages and disadvantages of having a deliberately slow law-making process? If a bill managed to pass out of committee in a previous session of Congress, what challenges exist to those who oppose the bill? Why might the bills in the Senate and House have different language? What influence would lobbyists have on two different versions of the same bill? Do lobbyists have a greater influence on public opinion or public policy? Explain.