The financing of culture in Brazil between 2003 and 2015: a path for generating monopoly rent

Abstract This article aims to analyze the public funding of culture in Brazil by studying the projects approved by the Ministry of Culture between 2003 and 2015. A quantitative longitudinal study is undertaken and includes theorizing on the concept of ‘monopoly rent’ from the political economy. The results showed that even with the change in the concept of culture at a government level, there is a concentration of supporters and proponents who use the Law of Cultural Incentive (LIC) to obtain resources to enable cultural projects. We conclude that the public policies of financing culture continue to transfer the decision of which projects will be funded to the market. The market, in turn, tends to generate monopoly rent with the use of public resources for the promotion of cultural projects that are monopolized by few producers and foundations.