This chapter examines the different

This chapter examines the different ways in which the State can influence
the development of sport systems and practices. Particular attention is
paid to the reasons why the State should want to intervene in the building
of sport infrastructure and its operation, and the different forms the intervention
can take. A clear distinction will be made between interventions
that assist and promote sport, and interventions that control and regulate
sport. A distinction will also be made between State initiatives that
increase levels of participation, and State initiatives that improve levels of
elite athlete performance. Throughout the chapter incidents and cases will
be used to illustrate both the concepts and theories that underpin State
intervention in sport, and the outcomes that arise from this intervention.
After completing this chapter the reader should be able to:

Explain the role and purpose of the State;

Explain how and why the State intervenes in a nation’s economic, social
and cultural landscape;

Identify the different forms the intervention can take;

List the different ways the State can influence the development of sport
structures and practices;

Distinguish between socialist, reformist, neo-liberal and conservative
ideologies, and how they influence the way the State goes about assisting
and regulating sport; and

Explain how each of the above ideologies shapes the values, structure
and operation of sport.