Robert Flanagan, born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1941. Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Professor of Economics at Stanford University.
Fellow (1 April 2009 – 30 June 2009)
PUBLIC VERSUS PRIVATE SUPPORT OF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
During my three month stay at NIAS, I continued to research and write a book on the economics of symphony orchestras in the United States and drafted a paper on the law and economics of international labour standards. My work on orchestras included considerable statistical analysis of a large database on the finances and operations of symphony orchestras in the US. The visit to NIAS also permitted me to learn more about the economics of orchestras in European countries where, unlike in the US, considerable government subsidies are provided to orchestras and other performing arts. NIAS fellowship was crucial for acquiring data and other information on European orchestras. Through contacts at NIAS and suggestions made during seminars that I presented at Dutch universities, I was able to make very productive contacts with managers, musicians, and government cultural officials in several countries. The contacts provided valuable data and enriched my understanding of how a regime of ongoing subsidies influences the structure of revenues and expenses in symphony orchestras. The paper on international labour standards reviews the record of economic forces in advancing labour conditions around the world and, in view of this record, demonstrates the comparatively limited influence of international labour standards or other legal tactics on labour conditions.