Left‐right Orientation, Homeownership and Class Position in Sweden

Abstract

Sweden is a country where left‐right orientation structures the political landscape, homeownership is increasingly important, and the importance of class for political preferences and behavior is changing or even weakening. This article explores the significance of homeownership for left‐right orientation in Sweden, and extends the relationship to include class position. By combining detailed cross‐sectional survey data with data on regional house price variations it suggests that homes function as an economic asset that affects individual political preferences. Furthermore, the relationship between homeownership and left‐right orientation is expected to be driven by particular class groups, whose labor market position imply a more leftist orientation, while their status as homeowners imply a more rightist one. The expectation is borne out, which indicates that the asset function of homes help accounting for changing class patterns of left‐right orientation in Sweden.