Who is the chief agenda setter?

The chief agenda setter in a government is the senior elected executive official, explains The Public Policy Cycle. In terms of the national policy agenda, the president is the chief agenda setter. For state policy initiatives, the state governor acts as the chief agenda setter.

The chief agenda setter determines the policy initiatives of the government. This task involves debating and creating laws for policy implementation. Executive officials use initial popularity, the media and political positioning to gather support for policy platforms and encourage implementation of policies. The president uses the State of the Union address to set the policy agenda for the nation.