Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reviews theories of policy making and outlines in detail the stages of this process in the incremental mode. It looks comparatively at Britain and Ireland and at how such processes are supposed to operate within these two polities and identifies the key actors involved in the production of policy. The book deals specifically with work on, and the development of, arts policy. The approach taken differs significantly from previous studies in a number of respects. It shows that until aits policy, and work produced on arts policy, is stated in language which is both accessible and succinct, the intentions of governments will remain vague and the impact of government objectives difficult to determine. The book also looks at the experience of the arts in the policy process.