Community and Social Issues

CLOSUP’s Functioning of Democracy Project is designed to increase our understanding of how American democracy is functioning at the local level, based on the unique perspective of Michigan’s local government leaders. It also serves as a Signature Initiative of the the University of Michigan’s Democracy & Debate program, providing resources, support, and analysis for faculty, students, and others interested in learning more about the state of U.S. democracy at the grassroots level. These resources and projects draw from data collected through the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), an...

The Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) is unique in the nation as the only ongoing survey of all general purpose local governments across an entire state. Its mission is to inform and improve policymaking with data not available from any other source, by surveying the state’s local...

The project "Policing and Criminal Justice Policy Reform in Michigan" is designed to help improve criminal justice, public safety, and police-community relations by understanding the perspectives and values of the local government and law enforcement officials who play key leadership roles in the criminal justice system, gathered through surveys of local government leaders, chiefs of police and sheriffs, and prosecuting attorneys across Michigan. The effort is a collaboration between the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) and the University of Michigan's...

The Michigan Local Energy Survey (MiLES) was conducted by CLOSUP in Fall 2019 on behalf of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). The survey was designed to better understand local officials' perceptions of the costs, benefits, and likelihood of engaging in future energy management activities. The survey covered a variety of energy issues, including: the regulation and siting of energy infrastructure on public and private property in local jurisdictions, governments’ engagement with citizens and businesses on energy issues, planning and/or zoning policies...