| Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy

CLOSUP Updates

Bridge Listens: The state of democracy, transparency in Michigan

Jul 28, 2026 Bridge Michigan

Michigan has been at the epicenter of heated national debates over election policies and how the democratic process works, particularly since President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 loss.

Women Leading Local Government: An interactive seminar presented by the Michigan Municipal League

Oct 14, 2026, 4:00-5:30 pm EDT

Betty Ford Classroom (1110 Weill Hall)

Women represent over 24.7% of Michigan's local chief administrative officers today, up from just 16% in 2018. Although women continue to be underrepresented as municipal managers, there is a growing contingent of dedicated women serving their communities and challenging the status quo in local government.

Women Leading Local Government: An interactive seminar presented by the Michigan Municipal League

News

Michigan's local leaders remain confident in election security, accuracy despite claims of vulnerabilities

Jul 21, 2026

Local officials across Michigan have maintained high confidence in election security and accuracy over the past several years. A soon-to-be released survey from the University of Michigan shows city and township officials—including those who conduct ...

Michigan's local leaders remain confident in election security, accuracy despite claims of vulnerabilities

CLOSUP Updates

Special Episode on Local Government Finance Report

Apr 14, 2026 Michigan Association of Counties podcast

Michigan counties are leaving the era of COVID-prompted aid with good balance sheets, says a University of Michigan researcher in a new Podcast 83 episode.

CLOSUP Updates

U-M survey finds 60% of local officials believe Michigan is ‘on the wrong track’

Jul 9, 2026 Click on Detroit

A majority of local officials in Michigan say the state is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new survey from the University of Michigan.

CLOSUP Updates

Local officials think the Legislature is doing a bad job

Jul 10, 2026 Gongwer

The opinion of local government leaders on the state, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature is falling, according to a statewide survey conducted in spring of 2026 by the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy Center for Local, Sta...

CLOSUP Updates

Opinion: Democracy is a skill we may be forgetting

Jul 15, 2026 Livingston Daily

Democracy isn't just about what's making national headlines. It's about the city council meeting, the board of education meeting and the local little league game.

CLOSUP Updates

Report: Local governments getting better at budgets; municipal leaders looking for more new approaches

May 8, 2026 Gongwer

Michigan’s local government units have improved over the past decade at adopting formal budgeting policies and exceeding state requirements for employing data-driven, predictive budget practices for their jurisdictions, a new report from the Universi...

CLOSUP Updates

Michigan city leaders say local democracy is working

Jan 14, 2026 WDET 101.9 FM Detroit

At the federal level, democracy is on its heels in America. But at the local level, despite weak participation, officials say democracy is strong. The trash is getting picked up on time, and services are being properly distributed, especially in more...

CLOSUP Updates

Local Elected Officials Trust In Residents Drops; Trust In Democracy Holds Fast

Nov 20, 2025 Michigan Information & Research Service Inc.

A new statewide survey of local government leaders across Michigan shows a paradox: officials say local democracy is functioning well, even while their trust in residents has fallen to its lowest recorded level.

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