Kingdon observed three “streams” that flowed largely independently of one another and which constituted the policymaking process. The first of these is the problems stream, which focuses the public’s and policymakers’ attention on a particular social problem, defines the problem, and either applies a new public policy to the resolution of the problem or lets the problem fade from sight. Getting attention for the problem may be accomplished by a number of processes, including the routine monitoring of social data; the occurrence of certain “focusing events,” such as a powerful symbol like Proposition 209 in California, which called national attention to the accelerating backlash against affirmative action policies; and the feedback from existing programs that can be obtained through such devices as congressional casework or the ongoing administration of public programs. Problems typically are defined in terms of values, such as conservative or liberal orientations; comparisons, such as the United States versus Serbia; or categories—for example, is public transit for the disabled a “transportation” problem or a “civil rights” problem? Categorizing the problem becomes quite significant in how the problem is resolved.