Who Should Make Decisions? Public Perceptions of Democratic Inclusion in Housing Policy

26 Pages Posted: 21 Jun 2023

See all articles by Justin de Benedictis-Kessner

Justin de Benedictis-Kessner

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Katherine Levine Einstein

Boston University

Maxwell Palmer

Boston University - Department of Political Science

Date Written: June 2023

Abstract

Who deserves to participate in local democracy? A wide body of research shows that property owners are deeply overrepresented in local political proceedings, especially those related to housing and land use. We know little, however, about whether such inequities conflict with the public’s norms of democratic equality. This article explores perceptions of democratic inclusion in local housing politics, and whether these views can be altered with more information about political inequalities. Using survey data from 13,619 respondents across 57 cities, we find that: (1) members of the public prefer to hear from homeowners and longtime residents in political proceedings; and (2) disseminating information about local participatory inequalities increases the likelihood of the public wanting to hear from a renter, albeit by a substantively small amount. These results show that public persuasion may not be the most fruitful avenue for reforming these inequitable local political institutions.

Suggested Citation

de Benedictis-Kessner, Justin and Einstein, Katherine Levine and Palmer, Maxwell, Who Should Make Decisions? Public Perceptions of Democratic Inclusion in Housing Policy (June 2023). HKS Working Paper No. RWP23-016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4487350 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4487350

Justin De Benedictis-Kessner (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Katherine Levine Einstein

Boston University ( email )

232 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215
United States

Maxwell Palmer

Boston University - Department of Political Science ( email )

United States

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