Are governmental culture departments important? : an empirical investigation

There are many claims that the involvement of national governments with the cultural policy sector tends to err towards being undertaken reluctantly and with relatively low levels of practical support (Gray, 2009; McCall, 2009; Mulcahy, 2006; Rindzeviciute, 2008; Wyszomirski, 1999). Such a position for national governments can be explained as being a consequence of political choices to avoid accusations of state censorship or manipulation, or a lack of political significance being attached to the policy sector in comparison with such matters as the economy, foreign affairs, health, education or trade (Gray, 2002). Despite such claims, however, there is no doubt that national governments have become increasingly active in the field of cultural policy since the late-1950s/early-1960s (see, for example, Duelund, 2003 on Scandinavia; Craik, 2007 on Australia; and Looseley, 1995 on France) with the creation of new government departments with responsibility for culture, or the re-naming of existing departments to incorporate an explicit reference to 'culture' as part of their remit (see Gray, 2000 on Britain; the Finnish Ministry of Education will be re-titled the Ministry of Education and Culture in early 2010)