Gentrification forces low-income voters out of cities, yet left governments like the UK's Labour Party often eliminate public housing.
Policy Puzzle: How does displacing core supporters align with electoral interests?
Labour argues its long-term strategy balances support between the middle class and an underclass. Yet interviews reveal politicians believe richer voters will compensate for those displaced by gentrification.
UK Evidence: Quantitative analysis of Greater London's 32 local authorities shows trends consistent with this rebalancing approach, even as housing crises intensify.
Policy Implications: This electoral strategy reshuffles voter demographics but risks long-term political costs despite its theoretical appeal.
| Why Parties Displace Their Voters: Gentrification, Coalitional Change and the Demise of Public Housing was authored by Winston Chou and Rafaela Dancygier. It was published by Cambridge in APSR in 2021. |
