Navigating Layers: The Influence of Ideology on Citizens’ Support for Rent Control in Germany and Switzerland

Affordable housing has emerged as a central political issue in many countries. In democratic federal systems such as Germany and Switzerland, there are debates about the appropriate level of government responsibility for regulating rent and housing policy to ensure affordability. Importantly, research on citizens’ perspectives on this matter has so far been missing from the literature. This study investigates whether citizens are more willing to support decisions on rent control policies taken at either the national or regional level, and how this willingness is affected by their political ideology. Using data from a preregistered survey experiment conducted in Germany (N=3693) and Switzerland (N=2143), we examine support for rent control policies. Respondents were randomly assigned to vignettes describing a rent policy decision taken at either the regional or national level. Additionally, they received argument treatments that either emphasized national or regional responsiveness and effectiveness. Our findings indicate a general support for national-level decision-making on rent control in both countries. Moreover, the effect of the level of government (regional or national) on the outcome (decision support for rent control) depends on where the public places themselves on the political scale: left-wing citizens are more likely to support national government responsibility, while right-wing citizens support regional government control. The findings have significant implications for policy-making in federal systems and contribute to the literature on public opinion, public policy, and federalism.