Venue Shopping in Multiple Streams: Campus Free Speech Policy Adoption in Wisconsin

Abstract

Wisconsin’s Campus Free Speech Act provides a distinctive case study to examine the intersection of venue shopping and the multiple streams framework. After some initial traction, entrepreneur ran into roadblocks in the state legislature; then, shifted their attention to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, where they were able to take advantage of an open policy window. When these events are considered holistically, they illustrate how manipulating institutional structures and fragmented authorities can help entrepreneurs achieve their goals.