ABSTRACT
Policies are formulated to address challenges. Research is an essential part of policymaking because research contributes to: identifying those challenges; assessing their characteristics, scope, and scale; settling on the best ways to address them; and helping to measure movement toward or away from policy goals. This chapter discusses the infrastructure for cultural policy data gathering and research in US, and outlines some important areas of basic research and policy analysis in US cultural policymaking. The discussion closes with a policy lab that digs into questions about how and why we measure culture, and a case study of the data and research on the impacts of COVID-19 that helped to drive and guide US cultural policymaking during the pandemic.
