Strikes by unions reflect the members' feelings that they are not sharing fairly in the distribution of resources. Changing patterns of marriage, divorce, and childbearing have led to new policy problems. Cobb and Elder list a number of separate triggering devices relating to international conflict and the threat of conflict. Wars and changes in weapons technology are examples. This describes a garbage can model of decision making.
Kingdom argues that government is much like the garbage can organization.
There are lots of solutions floating around government and the Washington community. Everyone has ideas they want to see enacted or implemented into public policy. Interest groups have solutions, bureaucrats have solutions, members of Congress have solutions, and so on. But at any given time, most of these policy proposals are going nowhere fast. Policy windows often open due to particular events, including publication of seminal books or articles, public attention to well-publicized crimes or other scandals, or the pressures of social movements.