AHC: Department of Culture

Try this: assuming a POD after 1900 (of course), how would you establish an American analogue of the Ministries of Culture found in more than a few European nations? Such a department would necessarily attain cabinet rank. And would such a department have oversight authority for political correctness in this day and age?
 
FDR or LBJ could make it if they want as part of the New Deal or Great Society. I can't see anyone else doing it.

I could see the National Archive, the National Film Registry, the national libraries, National Endowment of the Arts, and the national monuments under this department. The WPA under the New Deal had a large art program that funded painters, book writers, play writers, sculptures, etc. Perhaps that could survive until the modern day.

The department, however, would not have much real power. Despite that, the Republicans, would constantly pledge to get rid of it but they never would.

And power of political correctness? First Amendment blocks that shit right out.
 
I know Jacqueline Kennedy spoke of a Department of Beauty at one time. In part this had to do with architecture, esp government buildings, but it could be further applied to public areas, parks, cultural centers, greenspace, etc.
What if Mrs. Kennedy or one of the other First Ladies headed up a Dept. of Culture?
 
FDR or LBJ could make it if they want as part of the New Deal or Great Society. I can't see anyone else doing it.

What about Jimmy Carter? He already formed 2 new departments during his presidency, what would stop him making another one, especially during the rise of American exceptionalism.
 

NothingNow

Banned
FDR or LBJ could make it if they want as part of the New Deal or Great Society. I can't see anyone else doing it.

I could see the National Archive, the National Film Registry, the national libraries, National Endowment of the Arts, and the national monuments under this department. The WPA under the New Deal had a large art program that funded painters, book writers, play writers, sculptures, etc. Perhaps that could survive until the modern day.
It probably would.
Mostly for being cheap as hell but producing a quantifiable result in terms of paintings, plays, books, etc. every year, much of which would probably end up in courthouses and post offices.

Maybe they'd be responsible for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or whatever it is ITTL and NET/PBS? It would go under their sort of purview really.


The department, however, would not have much real power. Despite that, the Republicans, would constantly pledge to get rid of it but they never would.
Possibly for competing with the private sector, as film grants by the government obviously would.:rolleyes:

That or for funding "controversial" art work, as the NEA often gets flak for.

And power of political correctness? First Amendment blocks that shit right out.
Yep.
 
What about Jimmy Carter? He already formed 2 new departments during his presidency, what would stop him making another one, especially during the rise of American exceptionalism.

On the topic of Carter's cabinet reorganization, what if, when he created a free-standing Dept. of Education he had folded the NEA and NEH into it and called it the Dept. of Education and Culture? That might be the best bet for Culture to become a cabinet-level post.
 
I could see JFK doing this. I could even see Henry Wallace pushing for it under FDR. (With help from Nicholas Roerich.)

A few problems:
-National Parks and Forests. Forests are under Ag control for land use reasons. A lot of parks are historical- but often history and nature tend to overlap.
-National Libraries. The US has four- only two of which would primarily be cultural (Library of Congress and the National Educational Library). There's the National Library of Medicine and the National Library of Agriculture.
-National Archives. They have a lot of cultural material, but also a lot of bureaucratic stuff. I've had two FOIA requests forwarded to them (one from the FBI, one from US Forest Service), only one of which would be even remotely culturally related.
 
France and Germany, most European nations, actually, are pretty much DEFINED by language and culture. Protecting this vital patrimony in the face of the American cultural onslaught, hollywood etc, requires effort, and leads to the idea of a goverment sponsoring culture and language. Thus it makes sense for European nations (and quebec) to have institutions like a 'department of culture', 'académie française' or 'language police'. Not so much for the US. Being the #1cultural imperialist, they dont need protection from cultural imperialism.

A good PoD might actually be a stronger McCarthite movement, 'purifying' american culture of 'taint'. But that would, of course be suppressing and restrainiing culture rather than encouraging it....

In other words, a 'department of culture' probably depends on a real or perceived threat, or why go to that effort.
 
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