This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Blom-Hansen, J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Renter Illusion: Fact or Fiction?

Department of Political Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark, jbh{at}ps.au.dk

The renter illusion hypothesis holds that renters underestimate their property tax burden and therefore support excessive levels of local expenditure. A number of studies have reached results that are consistent with the hypothesis. But so far empirical investigations have proceeded from the assumption that renter illusion is a fact and have investigated the implications of this fact. No-one has investigated renter illusion as such. In other areas of fiscal illusion, survey analyses of voter perceptions have yielded considerable insight into the validity of illusionary hypotheses. This paper follows this method and investigates a representative sample of 1000 Danish renters' and home-owners' perception of the local property tax system. The evidence raises doubts about the renter illusion hypothesis. The survey findings are corroborated by an analysis of property taxation in Danish municipalities.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?