Cultural Policy and Political Science

Abstract

The study of cultural policy has not been among the traditional priorities of political scientists — a fact which should not surprise us, given the relative financial insignificance of arts funding when set against the more ‘vital’ responsibilities of government. The development of public support for culture has not generated the theoretical superstructure that has been engendered, say, by the expansion of post-war European welfare states. In consequence, the literature on which we might draw in approaching the subject of cultural policy-making, and against which we might subsequently compare our findings, is extremely limited. Indeed, in order to establish a more coherent framework of analysis for our empirical case studies, we will need to draw on a wider range of theoretical approaches. After considering existing accounts of cultural policy-making in France, this chapter will thus set out and assess a number of more general theories of the policy process in liberal democracies, with particular reference to the study of French public policy-making. In so doing, we will be aiming, in particular, to address the limitations of the different accounts of cultural policy-making previously discussed.