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Prompt:
Nations should suspend government funding for the arts when significant numbers of their citizens are hungry or unemployed.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

Essay:
When a nation’s citizens are hungry and unemployed, it should be of utmost concern to the government as to how to fix the problem. Perhaps the government needs to reevaluate their budget to make sure that enough money is being put into creating jobs for its citizens. Or perhaps the reasons behind the high numbers of hungry and unemployed citizens are a result of a systemic problem that cannot be solved with the reallocation of money alone. No matter the strategy a government employs to attempt to reduce the number of citizens who are hungry and unemployed, suspending government funding for the arts will cause long-term harm that will not necessarily reverse the problems that are causing so many to be hungry and unemployed.
Economically, it makes the most sense for the government to continue funding the arts even when citizens are hungry or unemployed because it can actually provide jobs that would otherwise be taken away. The arts are an industry that can support many people working in places such as museums, concert halls, theaters, and schools, just to name a few. If funding to all of these places was suspended, these workers would lose their jobs and further increase the number of citizens who are unemployed. In fact, by continuing to fund the arts, more opportunities could be created for citizens, which could perhaps even improve the number of unemployed and hungry citizens.
In addition, most citizens who have been exposed to the arts can attest to the fact that the presence of art correlates positively with morale. People are generally happier when they are surrounded by interesting culture and inspiring art. Having exposure to the arts causes citizens to think more broadly and be more well-rounded. These qualities are highly important in maintaining a population that makes a significant contribution to the world. Arts and culture are one of the defining ways that civilizations spread and last. If we were to suspend all funding for the arts, our civilization would in effect be stunted.
It is true that funding the arts takes up money that could be used elsewhere for feeding the hungry or creating jobs in other industries. However, the same could be said for any other part of the government’s budget. Perhaps there is another area that could have funding suspended or reduced that wouldn’t create such a detrimental and lasting impact.
While it may seem most logical to suspend government funding for the arts when there are significant numbers of citizens who are hungry or unemployed, the more logical thing to do is to find another area to reduce spending that will not have such a negative impact on citizens. Indeed, suspending government funding for the arts will create more problems in the long run without necessarily fixing the fundamental problems behind why so many citizens are hungry and unemployed.