Kahn:Switching gears, I have a new explanation for Trump's win that does not involve Weiner or talking about Deplorables or emails. California's zoning codes caused the win. If California had Texas style housing regulations, then 80 million people would live in California and the state would have 100 electoral votes. The state would still vote Democrat (because of the composition of these new voters) and Clinton would have won. Why would so many people move here? It is heaven. With Hong Kong style density and water markets, the state could accommodate such growth.
Ironically, as I show in this 2011 paper, California's progressive cities have blocked housing supply and thus rationed out the middle class from moving here. Such individuals have to live somewhere and the net result was more electoral votes in the Midwest.
And you mentioned it. If liberal cities in California opened their zoning system they wouldn't be liberal cities.
And, further, if California was more like Texas, Texas would become liberal. The pay-off out here is for California and Texas to alternatively share the Swamp goodies. The system only works by alternation between Texas and California, as proxied by our regular switch between Repub and Dem.
All this happened because California only gets 1/35 of an affirmative action Senator, while Texas gets 1/25 of a Senator. We like to be disconnected from the Swamp, we are all prepared for secession our west.
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