National Arts Index (NAI), United States, 1996-2017 (ICPSR 37309)
Version Date: May 14, 2019 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
Roland J. Kushner, Muhlenberg College;
Randy Cohen, Americans for the Arts (Organization)
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR37309.v1
Version V1
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Summary View help for Summary
The National Arts Index (NAI) was developed in the mid-2000s by Americans for the Arts as a way of tracking the health and vitality of arts and culture in the United States over time. Annual NAI reports were published in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016.
NAI's main features included:
- A policy index providing a summary annual score which aggregated 81 individual indicators of arts finance, capacity, participation, and competitiveness
- A compendium of data with detail on each indicator including its origin and an interpretation of its significance accompanied by a chart representing change in the indicator over time.
Americans for the Arts seeks to build recognition and support for the extraordinary and dynamic value of the arts and to lead, serve, and advance the diverse networks and organizations and individuals who cultivate the arts in America.
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Subject Terms View help for Subject Terms
Geographic Coverage View help for Geographic Coverage
Distributor(s) View help for Distributor(s)
Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)
Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection
Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes
For more information on the National Arts Index, please read "Chapter 8 - Methodology" of any of the full NAI reports available for download at National Arts Index Reports Download Center.
Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose
The purpose of the National Arts Index (NAI) is to provide an annual measure of the vitality of arts and culture in the United States.
Study Design View help for Study Design
The P.I.s used the nation as the unit of analysis. To measure a wide range of national arts and culture activity, the P.I.s gathered several hundred micro-level specific measures of arts activity, resources, participation, and character, from which 81 useful national-level indicators of arts and culture were produced. The P.I.s set each of the indicators in a conceptual framework, the Arts and Culture Balanced Scorecard.
Sample View help for Sample
Secondary data was obtained from different sources including: the federal government, private membership organizations, professional societies, trade groups, research institutions, and commercial data providers. Criteria for including a particular indicator for the NAI are:
- The indicator has at its core a meaningful measurement of arts and culture activity
- The data are national in scope
- The data are produced annually by a reputable organization
- Five years of data are available, beginning no later than 2003 and available through 2008
- Measured at a ratio level (not just on rankings or ratings)
- Statistically valid, even if based on sample
- Expected to be available for use in the Index
- Affordable within project budget constraints
Time Method View help for Time Method
Universe View help for Universe
Arts-related data sources in the United States
Data Source View help for Data Source
Americans for the Arts
Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce
Indiana University Center on Philanthropy
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
National Endowment for the Arts
International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce
National Association of Music Merchants
Copyright Office, Library of Congress
Public Broadcasting System
Pollstar
Conference Board
Office of Labor Management Standards, Department of Labor
American Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers (ASCAP)
American Association of Museums
Radio Research Consortium
Opera America
Books in Print database
Theatre Communications Group
SoundScan
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Robert Morris Associates
Almighty Music Marketing
National Center for Education Statistics, Department of Education
Scarborough Research
Recording Industry Association of America
American Association of Publishers
Foundation Center
Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Motion Picture Association of America
Beautiful Asset Advisors LLC
College Board
League of American Orchestras
Broadway League
National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute
National Association of Theater Owners
Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)
Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection
Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables
This study has 21 cases and 81 variables. Cases include years 1996-2017. Variables include national-level measures of: financial flows in arts and culture, capacity and infrastructure in arts and culture, participation in arts and culture, and the competitiveness of arts and culture.
The national level indicators aggregated the 81 indicators into four major areas:
- Financial Flows: philanthropy, artist income, business revenue, payments for artistic services
- Capacity: artists, organizations, employment
- Arts Participation: consumption of arts activities, attendance, experiences
- Competitiveness: the position of the arts compared to other sectors; market share, how the arts compete for philanthropy, discretionary spending
Response Rates View help for Response Rates
Not applicable
Presence of Common Scales View help for Presence of Common Scales
Not applicable
HideWeight View help for Weight
The data in RAW spreadsheet and DATA spreadsheet are not weighted. The WEIGHT spreadsheet was applied to the INDEX spreadsheet which was used to produce the visualization, NAIChart.
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The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.