{"id":2864,"date":"2023-03-26T06:56:48","date_gmt":"2023-03-26T13:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/?p=2864"},"modified":"2023-03-26T06:56:51","modified_gmt":"2023-03-26T13:56:51","slug":"new-rushton-working-paper-on-equality-and-public-funding-for-the-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2023\/03\/new-rushton-working-paper-on-equality-and-public-funding-for-the-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"New Rushton Working Paper on Equality and Public Funding for the Arts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Rushton-headshot.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Rushton-headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2865\" width=\"294\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Rushton-headshot.jpg 520w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Rushton-headshot-244x300.jpg 244w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 294px) 100vw, 294px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A short, low-tech paper available for free download <a href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4398308\">here on SSRN<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The abstract:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Suppose a reasonably wealthy country did not have an arts council that granted public funds to select artists and arts organizations. Would it be advisable to create one? One reason to do so, which comes from economic analysis, is that there might be market failures in the arts, whether public goods or, more likely, positive externalities, such that public subsidy would generate a more efficient allocation of resources. Another reason, although inconsistent with the economist\u2019s axiom of<em> de gustibus non est disputandum<\/em>, would be to pursue the highest achievements in excellence in the arts regardless of citizens\u2019 cultural tastes, and as a counterweight to the mass-consumption aims of the commercial creative sector. This essay argues that the pursuit of greater <em>equality<\/em> between individuals would <em>not<\/em> be a good reason to create an arts council, and that however strong one\u2019s commitment to egalitarian goals, public funding of the arts is not a useful means to achieving those goals. There are more efficacious ways of alleviating social inequalities.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The paper is not yet in finished form, so I will be hoping for feedback from those who have an interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A more detailed take on the economic approach to public funding, public goods and externalities and all that, is contained in <a href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4126290\">this working paper<\/a>, also available for free download.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A short, low-tech paper available for free download here on SSRN. The abstract: Suppose a reasonably wealthy country did not have an arts council that granted public funds to select artists and arts organizations. Would it be advisable to create one? One reason to do so, which comes from economic analysis, is that there might [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2865,"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-2864","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\/2023\/03\/Rushton-headshot.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3dIW5-Kc","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1314,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/05\/l3cs-in-the-arts\/","url_meta":{"origin":2864,"position":0},"title":"L3C&#8217;s in the arts (updated with citation info)","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"May 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I have a new working paper up on L3C's in the arts, which you can download for free here. If you were there, it's the paper I presented at Social Theory, Politics and the Arts in Seattle last October, cleaned up and revised. The abstract: Traditionally, the choice of organizational\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"no future?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/mule.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1846,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2015\/03\/a-policy-for-the-arts-the-white-paper-of-1965\/","url_meta":{"origin":2864,"position":1},"title":"A Policy for the Arts: The White Paper of 1965 (updated with a link)","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"March 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"During the past few weeks the British art world has been marking the 50th anniversary of the publication of A Policy for the Arts: The First Steps, a White Paper authored by Member of Parliament Jennie Lee, presented to Parliament on behalf of the Labour government of the time (on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"tasteful","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0810-e1425599780648-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"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":2864,"position":2},"title":"Book Diary &#8211; June 7 &#8211; New Working Paper on the Economics of Arts Funding &#8211; 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 &quot;issues&quot;","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":2535,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2020\/03\/voting-for-arts-funding-a-short-video\/","url_meta":{"origin":2864,"position":3},"title":"Voting for arts funding &#8211; a short video","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"March 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"We are making the adjustment to teaching arts policy at a distance for the remainder of the semester, and so I'm about to get used to (and hopefully better at) short videos for students, practitioners, anyone with an interest. In this one - I kept it to eighteen minutes -\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2020\/03\/voting-for-arts-funding-a-short-video\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/GNT4vvvY7kg\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2311,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2018\/03\/decorative-but-not-useful-the-instrumental-benefits-of-the-arts\/","url_meta":{"origin":2864,"position":4},"title":"Decorative but not useful: the instrumental benefits of the arts","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"March 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"What good are the arts beyond the personal aesthetic pleasure we gain from them? There is quite a list out there, of these so-called instrumental benefits of the arts: they make us more empathetic people, or so a grant to the Minneapolis Institute of Art hopes (in a recent review\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"you'll be sorry if you do","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/do-not-touch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/do-not-touch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/do-not-touch.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3049,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2024\/07\/does-it-matter-if-the-subsidized-arts-are-mostly-attended-by-the-well-off\/","url_meta":{"origin":2864,"position":5},"title":"Does it matter if the subsidized arts are mostly attended by the well-off? (updated)","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"July 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I have a new paper out, \u201cThe pursuit of equality through public funding for the arts\u201d, in\u00a0Innovating Institutions and Inequities in the Arts, edited by Joanna Woronkowicz and Doug Noonan.1 To explain what it is about, let me start with a completely different policy field: reducing the use of fossil\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;issues&quot;","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\/2024\/07\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864","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=2864"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2866,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864\/revisions\/2866"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}