The document discusses government funding for the arts in the United States, focusing on the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). It describes how the NEA was established by law to support national progress in the humanities and arts. It also discusses a Supreme Court case that responded to controversy over NEA grants by eliminating most individual artist grants. Additionally, it outlines the process where the NEA distributes funding to state arts agencies based on population, and how those agencies then allocate funding within their state.