The Arc of Water Policy
April 24, 2019
November 23, 2021
Questions to explore
- What do the two interviewees see as the consequences of elections in regard to the policies that are adopted?
- What issues have moved attention and emphasis away from Kansas water policy in recent years?
- What actions do Governors undertake that demonstrate their policy priorities? Use examples described by the interviewees.
- Do these interviewees think the Legislature’s or the Governor’s priorities are more important in developing water policy? Cite examples from the interviews that lead to that conclusion. Identify other public policy issues in which the actions of a few individuals have resulted in significant policy changes.
- What do the interviewees conclude about the authority of the Governor in relation to the Legislature in the context of water policy?
- What other interviews in the KOHP collection point to the importance of the Governor’s priorities in development of public policies? Cite the policies and how the Legislature responded to the Governor’s position.
Related Interviews
- The Looming Issue
- Individuals Play Key Roles
- The full interviews of Joe Harkins and former Governor Hayden are available on this site: Interview of Joe Harkins, April 24, 2019 and Interview of Mike Hayden, November 23, 2021. Another interview of former Governor Hayden discussing his time as governor more broadly is at Interview of Mike Hayden, June 13, 2018
Description
In two separate interviews, Joe Harkins, former director of the Kansas Water Office and Mike Hayden, former Governor of Kansas, discussed the arc of policymaking in the context of water policy. Both pointed to the importance of state leaders who saw water quality and quantity as important issues for the state. Both also pointed to the ebb and flow of interest in the issues as leaders changed through the electoral process. The clips of those interviews lead to some questions about how public policymaking depends on individuals' interactions with one another and how the formal structures of government play a role in those interactions.