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Cultural Policy & Advocacy in the US

93-846

Units: 6

Description

Cultural policy - and the arts, cultural, management, and policy leaders who advocate for and implement it -  operates in complex environments with public policies at the local, state and national levels that influence organizational operations and artistic creations. What are these policies? Who makes, implements, and enforces them? How are new policies developed and why? How can policies be changed? This course will provide students with the foundation to understand the context of cultural policy in the United States and how advocacy efforts can influence policy change. Students will have an opportunity to consider current arts policy issues as they examine a number of topics, including: a brief history of arts and cultural policy in the United States; the structure for federal, state, and local funding for arts and culture; matters of artistic freedom and censorship in the arts; the role of cultural policy in social justice, job creation, education, and placemaking; cultural equity and cultural diplomacy; innovative cultural policy funding mechanisms; and current efforts to measure cultural vitality. The course will contextualize these topics in light of concurrent shifts in the cultural policy landscape resulting from recent political shifts in the United States. Students will understand, articulate, evaluate, and advocate for cultural policies to benefit all stakeholders.