Communicating With Congress: An Agenda‐Setting Analysis of the Ukraine Crisis

ABSTRACT This study investigates the dynamics of institutional agenda‐setting within the U.S. government concerning the Ukraine crisis from 2014 to 2023. Analyzing a unique ECDATA dataset of executive communications, legislative bills, and media sentiment, the research explores how and when Congress asserts its foreign policy role. The findings reveal the 2022 Russian invasion served as a powerful “focusing event,” causing a dramatic surge in executive communications to Congress, which in turn strongly correlated with a spike in legislative action. This supports a model of top‐down agenda‐setting, where the executive branch effectively shaped the legislative agenda. While media sentiment toward Congress's involvement was notably positive, the analysis found no significant link between the size of Ukrainian‐American populations in various states and formal petitions to Congress, suggesting that constituent pressure was not a primary driver. The study validates core agenda‐setting theories in a foreign policy context, highlighting the potent influence of executive action over bottom‐up pressures in a major international crisis.