2004 US Election Report: How the Arts Fared

That's the view of Americans for the Arts, the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group. For the veteran arts-funding advocates there and throughout the United States, the federal election may not prove a happy sign, but -- for those who remember the trench battles to save federal arts funding in the mid-1990s -- it certainly represents relief.

"At the federal level, arts policy will likely remain on its current course, with no major policy shifts anticipated that would negatively impact the arts within the administration or the new 109th Congress," states an analysis -- called "2004 Election Impact on the Arts" -- from the advocacy group's Arts Action Fund.

The analysis notes that President George W. Bush has requested "relatively substantial funding increases" in the past for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), "so it is likely -- though not a sure thing -- that he will request increases in the future as well. With respect to personnel, the current heads of the cultural agencies will likely remain in place for the duration of their four-year terms, unless they choose to leave earlier. NEA Chair Dana Gioia's term runs through 2007."

Even the increase in Republican majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives won't affect that scenario, the analysis predicts. The House saw the Republicans grab three new seats, resulting in a 232-202 command over the Democrats, with one independent member.

"Except for a handful of races where incumbents lost their seat, newcomer moderates replaced retiring incumbent moderates, liberals replaced liberals, and conservatives replaced conservatives. In other words, voting patterns in the 109th Congress may be remarkably similar to those of the 108th," observes the analysis.

Increasing by four seats, the Republican majority in the Senate rose to 55-44-1. "However, the Democratic power to delay or filibuster legislation and nominations, which requires just 41 votes, remains intact," the analysis states. "Several of the new incoming Republican senators had poor arts voting records based on their previous tenure in the House, including Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, David Vitter of Louisiana, and Johnny Isakson of Georgia. John Thune of South Dakota and Richard Burr of North Carolina both had slightly more positive records, though neither favored increasing the NEA's budget."

With a more positive eye on the state level, the analysis notes that "arts policy and funding is poised to break new ground."

The study cites "several bright spots for the arts":

"In some states, an apparently anomalous trend occurred when the electorate voted for President Bush and/or a Republican senator or House member, but at the same time voted for the Democratic candidate for their governor and/or state legislatures. Additionally, the states, in general, voted for increased taxes for education and other issues through ballot initiatives, which is a clear departure from federal policy."

The study also notes that of 21 state initiatives that would have had a direct or indirect impact on the arts, 16 received voter approval. They include a New Mexico general obligation bond issue that authorizes funding for "art in public places," and a Rhode Island initiative providing historic-preservation and heritage bonds to fund the preservation and renovation of public and nonprofit historic sites, including cultural arts centers.

For the arts impact of local ballots nationwide, see "Mixed Results on Local-Option Measures Around the Nation" on Page 4 of Back Stage's Nov. 12 issue.