Partisanship and Residential Preference
Nall, Clayton and Jonathan Mummolo (2014). "Why Partisans Don't Sort: How Neighborhood Quality Concerns Trump Americans' Pursuit of Like-Minded Neighbors."
Under review.
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Abstract:
Democrats and Republicans state preferences for politically like-minded neighbors and community traits associated with their own party. Yet observational studies have not produced consistent evidence of partisan geographic sorting, or ongoing segregation of partisans into separate communities. In an original study of almost 5,000 self-identified Democrats and Republicans, we explain these divergent findings: preferences for co-partisan neighbors, while real, are low-salience. Three survey experiments reveal that partisans rarely prioritize politics when deciding where to live, instead turning to ``valence" concerns such as home price and school quality. Partisans differ over urbanism, racial and partisan composition, and religion, but have few options to act on these preferences if they select first on neighborhood quality, or if resource constraints limit their mobility. Respondents' moving history shows that, except for Republicans exiting urban or racially diverse places, partisans do not, on average, sort. Partisan differences in residential preference seldom influence residential choice.
Updated June 30, 2014
Under review.
Download Paper
Abstract:
Democrats and Republicans state preferences for politically like-minded neighbors and community traits associated with their own party. Yet observational studies have not produced consistent evidence of partisan geographic sorting, or ongoing segregation of partisans into separate communities. In an original study of almost 5,000 self-identified Democrats and Republicans, we explain these divergent findings: preferences for co-partisan neighbors, while real, are low-salience. Three survey experiments reveal that partisans rarely prioritize politics when deciding where to live, instead turning to ``valence" concerns such as home price and school quality. Partisans differ over urbanism, racial and partisan composition, and religion, but have few options to act on these preferences if they select first on neighborhood quality, or if resource constraints limit their mobility. Respondents' moving history shows that, except for Republicans exiting urban or racially diverse places, partisans do not, on average, sort. Partisan differences in residential preference seldom influence residential choice.
Updated June 30, 2014