Define the outer boundaries of policy choice
The agenda proper tends to be set by political forces and actors located outside of the researcher/analyst community. Elected politicians and their appointees are more important in setting agendas than are civil servants or non-government activists. Civil servants, technocrats, academics, and policy advocates with non-governmental organizations all play more of a role in framing and proposing policy alternatives and solutions. Further, contextual factors may define the outer boundaries of policy choice.