{"id":2724,"date":"2022-04-22T05:09:17","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T12:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/?p=2724"},"modified":"2022-04-26T19:16:31","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T02:16:31","slug":"book-diary-april-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2022\/04\/book-diary-april-22\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Diary – April 22"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I am writing a book, on the “moral foundations of public funding for the arts”. It will eventually appear in the series New Directions in Cultural Policy Research<\/a>, hopefully some time in 2023. But first I have to write it. This diary will chart my progress through the year, and I will always welcome your comments and suggestions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what is it about? Take as an example a major American orchestra. Each year, it might get $40,000 or so from the National Endowment for the Arts, around $500,000 from its state arts council, and perhaps $1,000,000 from its local arts council (yes, there are such orchestras). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we justify this expenditure? Economists might say there are positive externalities from the orchestra, and so public subsidy is warranted. But is that enough? The orchestra only performs for a minority of the local population, and many people in that city might feel there are no externalities at all, yet they are being made to pay increased taxes to support it. Does that matter? Can we justify the expenditure on “art for art’s sake” grounds, or can policies only be justified to the extent that they benefit individuals? Does government have any place in persuading people “music is good for you”, or should that be left to each person to decide for themselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What individuals count? In cultural policy, do we have moral obligations to generations yet to come? Do we have obligations to generations of the past, as conservative philosophers would have it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should we even be thinking in terms of individuals? Or are our cultural institutions and heritage necessarily a part of our community and nation that cannot be broken down into individual effects, as economists would do it? Are we morally obliged to recognize multiple cultures, and how would we do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of questions! My point will not be to provide an analysis and critique of all the strands of moral theory that have been developed – there is a vast literature that does that, better than I ever could. My goal is to enable us (and I include myself) to think more systematically about the most fundamental question in arts policy: why have state support of the arts? Throughout the book I will be asking “if this<\/em> is how we justify arts support, what are the implications for how<\/em> we ought to fund the arts?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s been a long semester, next week I begin to submit final grades, and I can get back to all my notes (many of which I have tried out in my classes) and producing something that makes sense…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am writing a book, on the “moral foundations of public funding for the arts”. It will eventually appear in the series New Directions in Cultural Policy Research, hopefully some time in 2023. But first I have to write it. This diary will chart my progress through the year, and I will always welcome your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2724","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-issues","8":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/CO.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3dIW5-HW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2791,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2022\/06\/book-diary-june-7-new-working-paper-on-the-economics-of-arts-funding\/","url_meta":{"origin":2724,"position":0},"title":"Book Diary – June 7 – New Working Paper on the Economics of Arts Funding – Updated June 9 with a good question","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"June 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Still a work in progress, but a draft essay summarizing the economic approach to public funding for the arts is available here for (free) download. Public goods and externalities, there's no disputing tastes, or maybe there is, nudges, merit goods, Leonard Bast, The Children of Men, contingent valuation, and an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/wonderboys.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2738,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2022\/05\/book-diary-may-9-how-did-i-get-here-some-biography-econ-101ism\/","url_meta":{"origin":2724,"position":1},"title":"Book Diary – May 9 – How did I get here? Some biography, Econ 101ism…","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"May 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I am writing a book about The Moral Foundations of Public Funding for the Arts. My first diary entries are here and here. How did I come to be writing on this topic? Let's go way back... In high school I was one of the band room kids: French horn\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"just a singer in a rock and roll band","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Elygra-rotated.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2780,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2022\/05\/book-diary-may-23-what-is-equity-in-the-arts-a-first-look\/","url_meta":{"origin":2724,"position":2},"title":"Book Diary – May 23 – What is Equity in the Arts? A First Look…","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"May 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There are two ways to approach equity, which I'm going to define as a fair or just set of entitlements or outcomes among people, not necessarily equal, but fair. One way is to focus on people's disposable income: what are people able to buy for themselves? How they spend their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"some restrictions apply","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/food-stamp.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/food-stamp.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/food-stamp.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/food-stamp.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/food-stamp.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/food-stamp.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2234,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2017\/11\/about-that-arts-council-england-economic-report\/","url_meta":{"origin":2724,"position":3},"title":"About that Arts Council England economic report","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"November 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been away from the blog for a while, but I just can't keep myself away from economic impact studies of the arts. The latest is from Arts Council England - you can read the report here. Three things: First, the goals of the study are not clear. Britain's Office\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"now multiply by 2.77 precisely","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/abacus.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/abacus.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/abacus.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2753,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2022\/05\/book-diary-may-13-can-a-neoliberal-support-public-funding-for-the-arts\/","url_meta":{"origin":2724,"position":4},"title":"Book Diary – May 13 – Can a Neoliberal support public funding for the arts? – Updated","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"May 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In the field of cultural affairs I often come across papers that use the word \"neoliberalism\", virtually always describing a bad thing, but with its precise meaning pretty vague - even when I ask as a friendly question what the presenters mean they are not quite sure. In arts policy,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/neoliberalism.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/neoliberalism.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/neoliberalism.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2729,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2022\/04\/book-diary-april-27-arts-funding-and-welfarism-merit-goods-who-cares-if-you-listen-and-a-first-look-at-perfectionism\/","url_meta":{"origin":2724,"position":5},"title":"Book Diary – April 27 – Arts Funding and Welfarism, Merit Goods, Who Cares if you Listen?, and a first look at Perfectionism…","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"April 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"'I think there can't be too many pictures and statues and works of art,' Hyacinth broke out. 'The more the better, whether people are hungry or not.' Henry James, The Princess Casamassima This week (and the next few weeks) I have been wrestling with the topic of perfectionism in moral\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/James.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2724"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2734,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2724\/revisions\/2734"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}