Conviction, Votes, or Nationalism?

Abstract

Why do policymakers pursue cultural policies? The existing literature presents several potential answers but no study has surveyed them in a comprehensive way. In this essay, I examine a diverse array of factors behind cultural policymaking. Combining domestic and international perspectives, I identify three major motivations: intrinsic demand, constituency demands and nation-building objectives. I employ a mix of qualitative and quantitative evidence to explore the hypotheses stemming from these different decision-making dynamics.