Communicating With Congress: An Agenda‐Setting Analysis of the Ukraine Crisis
研究2014至2023年美国政府在乌克兰危机中的议程设置，发现2022年俄罗斯入侵作为聚焦事件促使行政部门向国会大量沟通，进而引发立法行动激增，支持自上而下的议程设置模型。
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.