Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Program
Political Science
Advisor
John H. Mollenkopf
Subject Categories
American Politics | Economic Policy | Museum Studies | Nonprofit Administration and Management | Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation | Political Economy | Political Science | Public Policy | Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies | Urban Studies | Urban Studies and Planning
Keywords
Arts and Culture, Museums, Arts Funding, Cultural Policy, Government Funding for the Arts, Path Dependency
Abstract
This thesis explores how local government support for arts and culture varies across 24 American cities. It has proven to be challenging for researchers to accurately measure municipal arts support. Research on cultural policy has also often focused on the federal level, despite total city expenditures far exceeding national or state government support. This thesis attempts to take an accurate pulse of city expenditures in 2017 and correlates those spending levels to the variation in city ownership of arts facilities. Rooted in the historical perspectives of the ‘new institutionalism’ and path-dependency, this paper argues that past decisions about taking ownership of cultural facilities bind budgetary decision-makers in the present; the resulting relationships, or lack of them, drive the great variation in cultural support in American cities. Tracing annual funding in the present day to historical decisions made during a city’s foundation period provides a better understanding of how cities make these budgetary decisions, or perhaps have them made for them.
Recommended Citation
Sachs, Adam M., "Building for Culture: How Municipal Ownership of Cultural Facilities Influences Annual Arts Funding in American Cities" (2020). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3792
Included in
American Politics Commons, Economic Policy Commons, Museum Studies Commons, Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Political Economy Commons, Public Policy Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, Urban Studies Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons