The Politics of State Public Arts Funding

Arts funding in America is comprised of public
dollars, private support, and earned income that is
critical to the economic vitality of state and local
communities and to the nation s cultural well-being.
To date, most research has focused either on the
national level, the local level, or on public
opinions regarding the arts. This study attempts to
identify factors that explain differences in levels
of state funding for the arts by examining changes
in state-level funding (1985-2007) and policymaking.
The factors identified include: environmental
conditions, inputs, institutions, federal aid, and
policy. Case studies on New York, Utah, Washington,
Pennsylvania, California, and Texas were conducted
to examine the actual process of public arts
policymaking. This analysis shows that as cultural
activities have become infused in business and
tourism promotion, local cultural policy communities
have been altered, resulting in the creation of new
organizations that acknowledge that culture as
development constitutes its own policy arena.

Autorentext

Danielle Marie Georgiou, MA; Studied Political Science at the University of Texas at Arlington. Ph.D. candidate in Arts and Humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas.