Incentives and Social Capital: Are Homeowner's Better Citizens?

Denise DiPasquale, Edward L. Glaeser

NBER Working Paper No. 6363*
Issued in January 1998
NBER Program(s):   PE

---- Abstract -----

Individuals invest in their local environments by volunteering, getting involved in local" government, becoming informed about their political leaders, joining non-professional" organizations and even gardening. Homeownership may encourage these investments because homeownership gives individuals an incentive to improve their community and because" homeownership creates barriers to mobility. Using the U.S. General Social Survey document that homeowners are more likely to invest in social capital, and a simple instrumental" variables strategy suggests that the relationship may be causal. While our results are not" conclusive, we find evidence that a large portion of the effect of homeownership on these" investments may come from lower mobility rates for homeowners. Using the German Socio-Economic Panel homeownership and citizenship controlling" for individual fixed effects. Finally, across cities and counties, areas with more homeowners" have lower government spending, but spend a larger share of their government budget on" education and highways.

*Published: (with Rikard Forslid) Journal of International Economics, Vol.50, no.2(2000): 497-517.

Would you like an annual subscription to NBER Working Papers? Click here for more information.

You may purchase this paper on-line in .pdf format from SSRN.com ($5) for electronic delivery.
Information for subscribers and others expecting no-cost downloads

Machine-readable bibliographic record - MARC, RIS, BibTeX

 

 
Publications:
Main Publications Page
 
New This Week
Working Papers
Books              
Books in Progress
Older Books Online
Digest            
Reporter            
Bulletin on Aging & Health
2002 Japan Conference
Historical Bulletins
Free Subscriptions
Paid Subscriptions
 
Programs:
Program descriptions and members
 
Working Group Descriptions and Papers
 
Selected Projects:
Conference on Research in Income and Wealth
Conference on Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
Sloan Science and Engineering Workforce Project
Boston Census Research Data Center
 
Call for Papers
Submit to WP Series             
 
Data:
NBER Collection
Business Cycle Dates
Latest Business Cycle Memo
New Economic Releases
Selected Sources
Economic Organizations
US Government Agencies
Other Data Collections

Economic Report of the President
Economic Indicators
Congressional Budget Office
OECD Frequently Requested Statistics
 
About
What we are
Contact us
Non-data Links    
Search              
Site Map
Help              
Employment              
Fellowships
Early History
 
People:
Staff
Researchers
Board
Contact Us
Search
 
Search via Google: