Study Significance
The authors study rent increases because urban development and rent appreciation may be an important, underappreciated source of economic insecurity that shapes support for anti-establishment, radical right parties, analogous to labor-market transformations.
Data and Measurement of Rents and Voters
They combined individual-level geo-referenced panel data that links voters to place over time with a longitudinal dataset measuring the cost of rental housing at the postcode level in Germany.
Comparison Across Residents and Areas
The analysis contrasts long-term residents with varying household incomes and contrasts urban areas—where rent appreciation is concentrated—with other areas to assess heterogeneous effects.
Main Findings and Interpretation
Rising local rent levels are associated with increased support for radical right parties; effects are strongest among long-term residents with lower household incomes and are particularly pronounced in urban areas.
The authors interpret these patterns to mean that urban development and housing market dynamics represent an important source of economic insecurity and social concern with political consequences similar to those documented for labor-market change.
