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Foreclosure Depresses Voter Turnout: Neighborhood Disruption and the 2008 Presidential Election in C alifornia
Author(s) -
EstradaCorrea Vanesa,
Johnson Martin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
social science quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1540-6237
pISSN - 0038-4941
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2012.00889.x
Subject(s) - foreclosure , turnout , presidential election , demographic economics , voter turnout , socioeconomic status , ethnic group , inequality , politics , presidential system , voting , economics , political science , demography , sociology , law , population , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Objective We investigate whether voters in communities with high rates of foreclosure will find it more difficult to participate in elections, given social disruptions associated with home loss in their neighborhoods. Methods We estimate the community‐level effects of foreclosure on turnout rates in C alifornia ZIP C odes during the 2008 presidential election and an individual‐level turnout model using housing data merged with C alifornia voter data. Results Foreclosure rates are associated with reduced participation independent of local economic conditions, rates of education, ethnic composition, or individual partisanship, age, and habitual participation. Conclusion Given the relationship between the foreclosure crisis and political participation, this research suggests the need for further investigation. We are especially interested in the potential that housing foreclosure further exacerbates ethnic and economic inequality due to the preponderance of subprime loans, distressed mortgages, and foreclosures in communities of color and lower socioeconomic status.