Final answer:
The statement "As merchants' profits increased and governments collected more taxes, funding for the visual and performing arts, even for popular audiences, increased" is True. This has been evident during various periods, such as the market revolution and in post-industrial cities, where a rich cultural scene emerged as a symbol of prosperity. Option A.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is True; increased profits for merchants and higher tax collection historically have led to more funding for the arts.
Increased wealth among merchants and higher tax revenues allowed for greater financial support in cultural arenas.
This is much like during the market revolution in the United States, which indeed fostered many social and economic changes, including an affluent middle class that spent more on the visual and performing arts.
Additionally, when government sources like the monarchy and the Church diminished, the burgeoning middle class stepped in as a new source of patronage, eager to demonstrate their status and national pride through investment in the arts.
Historically, this pattern is not unique to one period or place. Increased economic prosperity often leads to more spending on arts and culture as a way to display wealth, and seek social prestige, and governments and individuals alike see value in promoting cultural development.
This has been observed in various contexts, such as in post-industrial revolution cities, where both high culture and popular entertainment flourished.
Hence, the statement is true. Option A.