The Homevoter Hypothesis
How Home Values Influence Local Government Taxation, School Finance, and Land-Use Policies
by William A. Fischel · first published 2001
6mentions
1recommended by
4HN commenters
2018–2022first – last mentioned
25% recommend75% neutral
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Homeownership is well below 50% of the voting eligible population in many major cities. But it’s the majority of the voters. There are many studies on homeownership and voting. I recommend the book “The Homevoter Hypothesis” if you’d like to start informing yourself about these issues!
on “Americans still think they can make money flipping houses” ↗> In 2001 William Fischel of Harvard University proposed his “homevoter hypothesis”. The thinking runs that owner-occupiers have an incentive to resist development in their local area, since doing so helps preserve the value of their property. This is a common sentiment that, I think,…
on “How housing became the world’s biggest asset class” ↗…people. Maximizing property values is such a central concern of local government in the United States that Dartmouth economist William Fischel developed the notion into an entire political theory. His “homevoter hypothesis” holds that local governments are almost single-mindedly focused on maximizing real estate values, because homeowners typically vote their home values in local elections. German jurisdictions gain financially…
on “Berlin buys thousands of apartments from corporate landlords” ↗…since the 1970s that housing should be a good investment. Low property taxes (Proposition 13) and zoning restrictions are designed to increase the private gains to this investment (https://www.amazon.com/Homevoter-Hypothesis-Influence-Govern...). A small change of use to short-term rentals is perhaps the next incremental step for house investors. It sucks for people who want to use housing as only a peaceful consumption good,…
on “What Airbnb really does to a neighbourhood” ↗…people. Maximizing property values is such a central concern of local government in the United States that Dartmouth economist William Fischel developed the notion into an entire political theory. His “homevoter hypothesis” holds that local governments are almost single-mindedly focused on maximizing real estate values, because homeowners typically vote their home values in local elections. German jurisdictions gain financially…
on “Plans for a new city in the American desert” ↗…people. Maximizing property values is such a central concern of local government in the United States that Dartmouth economist William Fischel developed the notion into an entire political theory. His “homevoter hypothesis” holds that local governments are almost single-mindedly focused on maximizing real estate values, because homeowners typically vote their home values in local elections. German jurisdictions gain financially…
on “U.S. house prices are rising exponentially faster than income” ↗