Does the type of housing people live in effect their political participation?

Question

This is dealing with urban economics....does housing effect political participation, and how...and what about people's social connection. What effect does the type of housing have on both of these......please help

Answer 1

Yes people who live in mansions and have limos with drivers tend to be very active, while people who live in housing projects who have to risk their lives just to get to the bus stop tend to be less politcally active and worry more about simply surviving.

Answer 2

Yes...and no...this is something that I actually studied in college and the answer to this question really is long and complicated because there are no real generalizations, or no one answer that fits everyone. Different age groups vote differently, i.e. college kids tend to be liberal and older individuals tend to be more conservative. What does this have to do with housing and political turnout?? Voter turnout has been a descending rollercoaster for years now. I say it is a rollercoaster because this past midterm election showed that people will turn out when they have something at stake or have a definite opinion about something. If your city, or your section of your city, is going to hell because of crime and unemployment then you have something at stake so you may be more likely to cast a vote. The problem is that many people tend to believe that their votes don't matter so they don't bother taking part in the process. "Nothing has been done so far so why should I believe that it will change if I choose to vote?" What difference does it make? Urban centers are generally made up of several different groups of people, including people with different economic, racial and ethnic ties. It is hard to mobilize different groups of people to act as a single unit and yet that is the only way. Where do the greatest number of "minority" groups live? In urban centers.....i.e. apartments, tenaments...etc...

I am gonna try to sum up the rest of my thoughts but there is a lot of info on this subject and there are many conflicting studies out there. Housing does effect political turnout but only if those people feel as though they have something at stake. One's environment, however, consists of more than a house....whether one votes or maintains social connections depends on the community in which one lives and the security that they feel in that environment. If you don't feel safe going to the store then you probably won't feel safe going to vote. If you don't own a car in a city like NYC then it will be more taxing to find your local voting center. I voted at a center very close to my house and I drove over with my Dad....this process may be a little different if it took place in the heart of Harlem or Queens. Voting centers in urban centers are also really crowded and people do not like to wait....this is true of people EVERYWHERE! I walked right into the voting booth in my little town....There is a lot more to say on this subject but I am done rambling, haha. Hope this helps a little.....

Answer 3

I'm inclined to believe it does, and that it makes them a little less involved.

Think about it, if you've lived in the projects for 30 years, various Presidential administrations have had little impact on your life. Not to mention, if you live in low-cost housing and are working hard every day just to make ends meet, visiting the polls may not be that high on your list of priorities. Also, you never see someone from low-income housing in city, state, or national government office. City Councils are made up of the relatively wealthy: the doctors, lawyers, and businessmen, and some middle class people like teachers or small business owners. There are exceptions to every rule, but the poor in our country are in no way properly represented in government.

I could be wrong, though, and it could be that people in lower-cost housing are motivated to make changes in their lives by being especially diligent in voting, but I really think that for the most part, they're unrepresented.

Answer 4

why would what type of house one lives in effect their intellect?
The types of choices/decisions people make result from their own ability to assess facts, options.
Socially..Just because your parents voted xxx doesn't mean that their kids MUST ..same applies to if all your friends support xx then YOU are not required to agree..
What people do or choose to believe is ultimately based on their own intellect and or their desire to get informed or just go with the flow..
lazy or smart ..each person chooses

Answer 5

It is true that the percentage of people with certain fanancial means are higher, and are more likely to take the time to vote than people with less income. The reasons for this are plentiful, and yes some of them have to do with money or personal wealth.
In other words, the folks who reside in nicer homes are more likely to vote than the folks in less affluent neighborhoods.