GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS: IS THERE A PRICE TO PAY?

With government in the United States having recently (1965) made the transition from catalyst in the support of the arts to patron, it is important to examine the consequences of this change. In this thesis, the United States provides a perspective of both the recent past and the present, and Europe provides a glimpse into the future. The method used has been to examine and analyze a wide range of historical and contemporary sources, supplemented by interviews with professionals in political science, art advocates, and art bureaucrats. The most surprising finding of this study has been that financial support for the nonprofit arts in the United States far exceeds that in Western Europe. Less surprising has been the discovery of a correlation between direct government support and government control. The conclusion reached is that the best arts support is provided by a prosperous, pluralistic, and well educated private patronage.