The Shifting Politics of Homeowners

Homeowners are more likely to be politically active on both the local and national levels, according to a new Stanford University study.

What's more, homeowners' increased political participation is causally linked to increased institutional NIMBYism and income inequality. On policy, the study finds that homeowners are 75 percent more likely to vote in local elections that include zoning issues, favoring more restrictive land use and lower density developments. CityLab co-founder Richard Florida writes, "These policies may help to reinforce the gap between more affluent and advantaged homeowners and the rest of American society, giving additional credence to the catch-phrase, 'I got mine, Jack.'"

It’s not just that becoming homeowners makes people more NIMBYish, or that homeownership locks people into place, but buying a home changes people’s political behavior writ large. Once someone buys a home, they act politically to protect its value. As the authors point out: “Overall, the results suggest that individual economic circumstances importantly influence political beliefs and behavior, and suggest that homeowners have special influence in American politics in part because their ownership motivates them to pay attention and to participate.”

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