Breaking down the news with data, charts, and maps.

Happy Thursday! In today’s newsletter, we we examine the true cost of McMansions, voters’ opinions on fossil fuel production, and trailing defense spending.

Edited by Sutton Houser and James Desio

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1. The True Cost of McMansions

Topline: A key factor in the housing affordability crisis is the rise of large, expensive, single-family homes known as McMansions. AEI’s Tobias Peter reports that in Los Angeles, McMansions often replace smaller, more affordable homes.

In 2020, these types of homes accounted for 37% of newly built single-family homes in the Los Angeles metro area, a figure that rises to 66% if you only examine the six more affluent cities in the area (Arcadia, Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Santa Monica, and Temple City).

The Problem: Instead of using large lots for multiple affordable units, McMansions replace lower-priced homes with larger ones that can cost three times as much. This trend makes housing less affordable, particularly for young and moderate-income households.

More on the Housing Crisis

2. Voters Want Energy Abundance

Topline: With six weeks until Election Day, AEI’s Ruy Teixeira identifies energy abundance as a key issue for voters. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll shows 66% of likely voters support increasing domestic fossil fuel production.

Drill Down: Support for fossil fuel production is popular across various demographics:

58% of college-educated voters, 72% of noncollege-educated voters, 77% of white working-class voters, and 63% of young voters favor boosting domestic oil and gas output.

Green New Deal? To gain support in swing states like Pennsylvania, Teixeira recommends Vice President Kamala Harris further distance herself from Green New Deal policies on fossil fuel production and “net-zero” emissions, and embrace energy abundance policies instead.

“Unlike climate action, energy abundance has an unambiguous relationship to economic advancement and prosperity for the working class, which of course is paramount for these voters.”

—Ruy Teixeira

More Election Analysis

3. The Next President’s Defense Dilemma

Topline: Amid rising global conflict and chaos, AEI’s Hal Brands highlights the defense buildup challenge for the next commander in chief. Although the US allocates about 3% of its GDP to defense, Brands argues that spending must increase to maintain military strength.

Tight Budgets: He notes that US defense spending as a percentage of GDP is lower than at nearly any other time since World War II. Furthermore, America’s resources are distributed globally, while Russia and China concentrate theirs regionally.

Stronger Allies: Brands stresses that escalating global conflicts require increased defense spending from US allies. In this regard, former President Donald Trump is urging NATO members to raise their defense spending to 3% of GDP.