Author: Throsby, C. David and Withers Glenn A.

Publication Year: 1982

Media Type: Book

Summary:

Abstract:

Paper presented at Second Annual International Conference on Cultural Economics and Planning, sponsored by the Association for Cultural Economics, Mastricht, Holland, May 26-28, 1982.

The authors explain how the arts confer general benefits on the community at large for which these members cannot be individually charged. The existence of these public-good benefits provides a rationale for government support of the arts. However, it is different to determine the form of the public good benefits, which complicates decisions concerning government assistance levels. The authors attempt to measure the demand for arts as a public good through a survey and find that the public is generally supportive of arts assistance and willing to pay more for these benefits.

CONTENTS
Introduction.
Public goods and the arts.
Measuring the magnitude of collective benefits.
Survey methodology.
Results.
Conclusions.
Notes [bibliography].
Tables:
     1. Public good characteristics: attitudinal responses (percentages).
     2. Willingness-to-pay responses ($A p.a.).
     3. Effects of arts attendance on willingness to pay: unadjusted data ($A p.a.).
     4. Effects of arts attendance on willingness to pay: adjusted data to account for
         income differences (percent of total annual household).
     5. Suggested changes in average assistance levels.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Funding