Which of the following stages comes first in the policy-making process?

In the policy-making process, agenda setting is the initial stage where issues are identified and prioritized for governmental consideration. This stage involves determining which problems require attention and are deemed significant enough to warrant action from policymakers. During agenda setting, public opinion, media coverage, and political advocacy play critical roles in highlighting specific issues to the government.

The process progresses to subsequent stages after agenda setting, such as policy formulation, where potential solutions are developed, followed by legitimation, where policies are formally adopted, and finally program evaluation, which assesses the effectiveness of implemented policies. This order reflects how the initial step of recognizing and framing issues is essential for guiding the overall policy-making process.