Media and policy in a complex adaptive system: Insights from wind energy legislation in the United States

Since the early 1970s, debates surrounding the promises and pitfalls of renewable energy as a way to securely meet consumption demands in the United States have been commonplace in the media and political discourse. Drawing on the communication and political science literatures, this research addresses the relationships between the amount of media coverage given to wind energy, as well as the frames used in covering the topic, and the number of bills presented to state legislatures. We argue the media and political decision-making bodies are working as agents in a complex adaptive system, wherein they are constantly interacting and adjusting to both internal and external variables.