Can Culture Explain Culture?

Abstract

This article argues that cultural explanations can help explain local policy choices. Drawing on the New Political Culture theory, the article combines three models of cultural change to explain the level of spending on cultural policies in Norwegian municipalities. In total, 430 municipalities are studied, and the results show that cultural change variables improve the understanding of local policy choices. The finding here indicates that some elements of the New Political Culture, like women’s participation, seem to be able to travel without losing their content. However, to fully be able to comprehend the level of cultural change in the Nordic context, better measures are needed.