Reconfiguring the multiple streams: how focusing events shape agenda setting in China

Focusing events critically influence governmental policy agendas by catalyzing response-oriented agenda setting, a key instrument for addressing emergent public issues. Although their role is acknowledged, the mechanisms that trigger such agenda setting remain underexplored, particularly in non-Western contexts. In this study, we systematically analyzed 40 Chinese focusing events (2018–2023) using the multiple streams framework and qualitative comparative analysis to identify causal pathways that activate response-oriented agenda setting. Our findings reveal four distinct models—clear-pointing, problem-driven, high-level-driven, and composite—demonstrating that agenda setting arises from the convergence of the problem, policy, and political streams, adapted to China’s political ecosystem. These insights refine the multiple streams framework and offer evidence-based guidance for policymakers managing focusing events. This study advances the understanding of agenda setting dynamics in non-Western contexts, highlighting the interplay among societal pressures, the exercise of power, and policy communities in shaping governmental responsiveness.