The literature reveals many conflicting theories about the relationship between homeownership and civic participation. Although most researchers agree that homeownership increases civic participation, the underlying reasons for this causal relationship are often contradictory. Contemporary scholarly interest in this topic appears to be driven by the recent subprime mortgage crisis and historical policies that have promoted homeownership in the United States. Other notable trends include different operational definitions of civic participation and efforts to increase social capital and civic participation among low-income groups. urban neighborhoods. The following summary provides an overview of the most prevalent themes in the literature on this topic. Homeownership Increases Civic Participation in Urban Neighborhoods Manturuk, Lindblad, and Quercia (2013) examine the relationship between homeownership and civic engagement in low-income urban neighborhoods. The authors identify and test three common theories from the literature that link homeownership and civic participation: financial self-interest, general self-interest (e.g., neighborhood amenities), and residential mobility. The data used in this study were collected from two surveys conducted four years apart by the same participants from 30 metropolitan areas. Participants were drawn from a random sample of low-to-moderate-income homeowners enrolled in a secondary mortgage market program, who were then matched to a control group of renters based on neighborhood proximity and income. Survey data were analyzed using an inverse longitudinal model supplemented by three propensity score models with the aim of eliminating selection bias. [Avoid this type of jargon unless you...... middle of paper ......participate in their communities: residential stability and financial investments. Similar to Li (2012), the author asserts that the mixed findings on the relationship between homeownership and community participation are the product of conflicting definitions of community participation in research surveys, and also adds that Geographically distinct samples representing only particular sets of households also contribute to these contradictions. The study used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly CPS survey supplements, which collects information from households across the country on their involvement in civic activities. The CPS survey supplements offered three reliable measures of community participation: (1) local voter participation, (2) participation in a school, neighborhood, or community group, and (3) participation in a civic group or service..