John W. Kingdon

"A good idea catches on, snowballing as it picks up adherents. Sometimes a bad idea does the same."

"Somehow, open heart surgery means more to most of us then the Alton, Illinois, Lock and Dam 26."

"One goal of a senator or representative is satisfying constituents. Publicity is essential, and one way to get publicity is to push for new policy initiatives."

"Ideas become prominent and then fade."

"Flowing along independently of the problems and policy streams is the political stream, composed of such things as public mood, pressure group campaigns, election results, partisan or ideological dist…"

"Consensus is built, sometimes very rapidly, by cutting in many and diverse interests."

"People are sometimes reluctant to take big steps. Apprehensive about being unable to calculate the political fallout, politicians shy away from grand departures."

"The phrase "an idea whose time has come" captures a fundamental reality about an irresistible movement that sweeps over the politics and our society, pushing aside everything that might stand in its p…"