Global Perspectives on Democracy and Public Stadium Finance

Abstract

Arenas, ballparks, and stadiums built for professional sports teams or mega-events all around the world often come with large public costs. In democratic states, citizens are assumed to have a role in public policymaking, but previous research suggests the strength of this role can vary case-to-case. To examine the incidence of public stadium finance and public participation across the geopolitical landscape, a collective case study was employed and organized into regime type (i.e., full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, authoritarian regimes). The results of the study show clear contrasts in the financing mechanisms within and between regime types. Additionally, each case-study grouping contained examples of citizen-led public participation, though the efficacy of these democratic actions is questionable. This review complements the growing literature on public policy and stadium finance by assessing public engagement in current stadium-subsidy debates around the world.

全球对民主与公共体育场财政的看法

世界各地为职业运动队或大型赛事而建的竞技场、棒球场和体育场, 通常都要付出巨额的公共成本。在民主国家, 人们认为公民在公共政策制定中扮演着重要角色, 但之前的研究表明, 这种角色的作用可能因人而异。为了研究公共体育场财政和公众参与在地缘政治领域的影响, 我们采用了一个集体案例研究, 并将其组织为政体类型(即, 完全民主, 有缺陷的民主, 混合政体, 威权政体)。该研究的结果显示, 在制度类型内和制度类型之间的筹资机制存在明显的差异。此外, 每个个案研究小组都载有公民领导的公众参与的例子, 尽管这些民主行动的效力值得怀疑。本综述通过评估目前世界各地对体育场补贴的讨论中公众参与的情况, 补充了越来越多关于公共政策和体育场财政的文献。

Keywords:

• Public policy
• stadium financing
• mega sports events
• democratic participation
• geopolitics

关键词:

• 公共政策
• 体育场馆融资
• 大型体育赛事
• 民主参与
• 地缘政治

Notes

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 For the purpose of consistency, all cost figures have been converted to USD based on U.S. Treasury Rates of Exchange as of March 31, 2018. Conversion equivalents of US$1 are as follows: C$1.2880 (Canada); R3.3050 (Brazil); £0.7120 (United Kingdom); €0.8110 (eurozone); AU$1.2990 (Australia); NZ$1.3810 (New Zealand); 1061.0500 (South Korea); R11.8230 (South Africa).

2 Although there were no public costs reported for the Air Canada Centre (Toronto), the Bell Centre (Montreal), and Rogers Arena (Vancouver), there were likely some public costs associated with the construction, operation, and maintenance of each. See Long (2013).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Timothy Kellison

Timothy Kellison (Ph.D., Florida State University, U.S.) is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Sport and Urban Policy at Georgia State University, U.S. Dr. Kellison’s research focuses on sport in urban environments, including public policy and sport, urban and regional planning, and environmentally sustainable design.

Michael P. Sam

Michael P. Sam (Ph.D., University of Otago, New Zealand) is a Senior Lecturer in School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences at University of Otago, New Zealand. Dr. Sam’s research interests broadly encompass areas of policy, politics, and governance as they relate to the public administration and management of sport.

Sungil Hong

Sungil Hong (Ph.D., Florida State University, U.S.) in an Assistant Professor in Department of Physical Education at Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China. Dr. Hong’s research interests center on demand in sport, stadium financing, and innovation diffusion in professional sports.

Kamilla Swart

Kamilla Swart (Ed.D., Illinois State University, U.S.) is a Professor in Sport Management, at American University in the Emirates, United Arab Emirates. Dr. Swart’s research interests relate to sport tourism and mega event legacies.

Michael J. Mondello

Michael J. Mondello (Ph.D., University of Florida, U.S.) is a Professor in Department of Marketing at University of South Florida, U.S. Dr. Mondello’s research interests include stadium financing, contingent valuation method, employee compensation, analytics, and ticket pricing.