Self-Interest and Voter Support for Oregon's Land Use Controls

Abstract Local land use controls have received considerable attention from political economists, but statewide land use controls have not. This research note offers an analysis of the political economy of statewide land use controls in Oregon. Unlike two previous studies, which indicate that such controls generally serve the upper class, this research note asserts that the statewide land use program in Oregon subsumes four identifiable issues, which generate the necessary supporting coalition among distinct groups. These results suggest that the political viability of statewide land use programs depends critically on public perception of how they address the issues that affect the voters.