In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Onkar Ghate and Tristan de Liège discuss Zohran Mamdani’s record $323 million culture budget for NYC aimed at supporting the arts, and why government attempts to fund artistic endeavors are unjust and ineffective in creating thriving conditions for artists.
Topics include:
The Culture Budget’s Purpose
The “Affordability Crisis”
The Disdain for the Market
The Effects of Subsidizing Art
The Alternative to Subsidies
Resources:
Ayn Rand, “What is Capitalism” in Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
Ayn Rand, “To Dream the Non-Commercial Dream” in The Voice of Reason: Essays in Objectivist Thought
This episode was recorded on August 5, 2026.
Image credit: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images News / via Getty Images