Save Our Homes: An Analysis of Property Tax Limitation Policymaking in Florida

• In Event: 282 - Student Forum Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 08. Law, Society, and Human Rights

Abstract

Tax policy constitutes a significant form of state intervention in individuals’ lives. Scholars have devoted much attention to the hidden welfare state in which tax policies provide financial support to citizens that would otherwise be delivered through direct spending programs. This research extends sociological examinations of the hidden welfare state by conducting a case study of one of Florida’s property tax limitation policies—Save Our Homes. Specifically, this paper examines the 1992 passage of Save Our Homes and its subsequent expansion in 2008. Political actors, opportunities, and tactics influence policymaking. This research contributes to an understanding of policy formation in that it sheds light on factors that shape beliefs so deeply held that they become part of the American ethos, such as the widespread support of tax relief.

Author

• Stephanie L. Bradley, Florida State University