Transformations  in
Business & Economics

DISCOURSE THE TRANSITION FROM STATE TO ARM'S LENGTH CULTURAL POLICY IN LITHUANIA
Audrone Rimkute

ABSTRACT. The paper analyzes the transition process from state to arm's length cultural policy in Lithuania. The distinctive feature of the arm's length model is the separation of policy formation and implementation, and the transference of these political functions to different institutions (the Ministry of Culture and Culture and Art Council). Ministry sets financial, administrative, legal, and overall policy framework for the council, but the council has a considerable measure of independence in decision making. This model is considered to be intermediate between the state model, in which political institutions make all important cultural policy decisions, and the liberal model, in which state funds culture only indirectly (through taxes). The first part of the paper discusses the aims of the arm's length model in cultural policy and the main features of Art (or Culture) council as an arm's length body. This part is based on a comparative analysis of the activity of councils in various countries. The second part of the paper describes and analyzes the transition process from state to arm's length cultural policy in Lithuania. The part is based on the qualitative analysis of the Lithuanian political documents and public discussions about cultural policy issues, and on secondary data analysis. The part considers the main reasons of the cultural policy transformation in Lithuania, discerns the stages and causes of the process.

KEYWORDS: cultural policy, cultural policy models, arm's length principle, Lithuania.

JEL classification: D78, H10, H49, Z18.