lus, most of my constituents are older (65+) and they want to know they and their loved ones will be taken care of in their time of need (Rep. Baxley, 2001). Proposals are considered in part because of political gain and support and opposition, but also based on analytical criteria as well. It is the opinion of the writer that the media acts as a very influential external indicator in agenda setting; this can be a double-edged sword. In the case of Florida House Bill 0991, there was extensive media support from smaller communities possessing an older population. In this particular case media support put an end to the abuse of the Sherman trust, however in other cases media can exploit the public and force their attention towards issues of little importance; the same problem occurs with interest groups. It is up to the legislators and the public to narrow the set of subjects to a list which has a focus. Alternative specification is the process of narrowing the range of possible positions for any one issue, this most be accomplished in order to have an organized and concise agenda. Each generation is said to write its own history of the world. This is not because of any spiteful desire to cast aside the worldview of their forefathers or just to rewrite history to their liking. Although these motives may not be totally absent, each generation creates a history and political policies differing in significant details from pervious versions simply because they came of age under a new set of circumstances and issues. Agenda setting is a way of striving to amend the problems of the day. As one can see there are several ways in which the agenda can be set, ranging from external indicators like the media, interest groups, and entrepreneurs, legislative support, and the need for policy in the given area. The more external support a concern has outside of government, the more likely it is to make its way onto the agenda. Problems, like Stuart Ent...
