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John R. Chamberlin

Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

johnch@umich.edu

(734) 717-7921

John R. Chamberlin is a professor emeritus of political science and public policy. His research interests include ethics and public policy, professional ethics, and methods of election and representation. He taught the core course "Values, Ethics,…

MPPS in the news

Survey: Locals Not Concerned About Right To Work Status

Jul 27, 2023 Gongwer.com

A majority of local government leaders said in a recent survey the state's recently repealed right to work law has had no impact on relationships between the municipality and employee unions. The Michigan Public Policy Survey at the Center for...

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Municipalities Hit Spending Struggles With Federal COVID Relief Dollars

Jul 11, 2023 MIRS

Federal funds intended to stabilize the budgets of local communities have proven a daunting task to take down for multiple reasons, a recent policy survey by the University of Michigan found. Cities, villages and townships trying to spend the $4.4...

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Bonds

Jul 10, 2023 StockTraderApp.com

Most Michigan local governments are spending their federal pandemic aid on capital projects, while facing challenges from rising project costs and uncertainty about future funding. A new survey from the University of Michigan’s Center for Local,...

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Conservative Michigan lawyer uses extremism, God to find policy wins, critics say

Jul 7, 2023 Detroit Free Press

Amid a chaotic time for Michigan Republicans, a small group of lawyers and activists are beckoning conservatives back to their roots: local control and God. Lawyers Dave Kallman, William Wagner and several colleagues think they might have a...

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Local Michigan governments face challenges spending ARPA funds

Jul 6, 2023 The Bond Buyer

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Inflation Driving Concern About ARPA Spending For Local Governments

Jul 6, 2023 Gongwer

The federal government offered $1.9 trillion to help local governments stabilize their budgets in 2021 through the American Rescue Plan Act, but two years later, many local leaders in Michigan say inflation and supply chain challenges are making the...

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Michigan towns and cities struggle to spend COVID-19 funding, survey finds

Jul 5, 2023 Detroit Free Press

Often, local governments decry a lack of needed funding. But in a twist, a new University of Michigan survey found unique challenges faced by Michigan localities trying to spend some of the billions of dollars in federal COVID-19...

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Survey finds Michigan towns, cities struggling to spend COVID-19 funds

Jul 5, 2023 Bravo Bulletin

Often, local governments bemoan the lack of necessary funds. But in a twist, a new University of Michigan survey found Michigan areas facing unique challenges trying to spend billions of dollars in federal COVID-19...

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Michigan towns and cities struggle to spend COVID-19 funding, survey finds

Jul 5, 2023 Ground News

The 2021 American Rescue Plan Act provides $4.4 billion to help local governments. The Michigan Public Policy Survey of nearly 2,000 local governments in the last two years has asked leaders about their experiences with the federal outlay. Most...

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Labor Voices: Public workers keep government services going

Apr 18, 2023 The Detroit News

When newly elected officials take office, people often take for granted that government services will continue to be provided seamlessly. That continuity is only possible because of the institutional knowledge and hard work of dedicated public...

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Recycling gets positive reviews as green groups press for more action

Apr 14, 2023 Great Lakes Echo

Local government officials in the state generally feel positive about the benefits of recycling, according to a public policy survey report from the University of Michigan. But environmental organizations say that while local officials felt upbeat,...

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Recycling gets positive reviews as green groups press for more action

Apr 3, 2023 Manistee News Advocate

LANSING – Local government officials in the state generally feel positive about the benefits of recycling, according to a public policy survey report from the University of Michigan. But environmental organizations say that while local officials...

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Recycling gets positive reviews as green groups press for more action

Mar 31, 2023 Capital News Service

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Local Leaders Largely Support Community-Wide Recycling

Mar 28, 2023 Gongwer News Service

Local leaders reported positive attitudes toward recycling, supporting the current services they have or expressing a desire to bring recycling services to their communities, a recent report from the Michigan Public Policy Survey...

In the Media

Flint, Michigan's finances stable but fragile as citizens get closer to state settlement payout

Mar 23, 2023 The Bond Buyer

Flint, Michigan's fiscal condition remains stable but fragile with some positive signs on the horizon as its citizens move closer to receiving compensation for the 2014 water contamination crisis, with a $600 million state-backed settlement clearing...

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Local leaders report widespread support for community recycling programs

Mar 20, 2023 The University Record

A strong majority of Michigan local government leaders feel that good governance includes promoting environmental sustainability and “being green,” according to a survey of nearly 1,400 leaders across the...

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How some Michigan communities are using ARPA dollars

Mar 16, 2023 Rural Innovation Exchange - Secondwavemedia.com

The lens that leaders of municipalities throughout Michigan are looking through is prompting them to take a “glass half full, glass half empty” approach depending on the amount of money they received through the American Rescue Plan...

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Michigan's local governments face growing concerns over workforce recruitment and retention

Feb 27, 2023 Michigan Radio

Local governments in Michigan are struggling to recruit and retain their workforces — and a recent report finds it is only getting more difficult. The Michigan Public Policy Survey asked local governments across the state to report their top...

In the Media

Whitmer’s new budget proposal: What it means for Michigan residents

Feb 24, 2023 The Michigan Daily

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her fifth executive budget recommendation for the 2024 fiscal year on Feb. 8, setting the record for the largest budget proposal in Michigan’s history at $79...

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Michigan's local governments face growing concerns over workforce recruitment and retention

Feb 23, 2023 WVPE 88.1 FM

In the Media

Machine-readable disclosure has 'revolutionized' Flint's financial reports, CFO says

Jan 25, 2023 The Bond Buyer

For Flint, Michigan, new machine-readable disclosure standards which have sparked controversy across the muni market represent a "quantum leap" for the city's finances, its CFO said. "If you're asking me, it's about time that we modernize and...

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Local Governments Report Less Fiscal Stress, But Wary

Dec 19, 2022 Gongwer News Service

Local government leaders report they are better able to financially meet their needs this year than in 2021 though remain concerned about long-term fiscal trends, according to a survey released last week. The Michigan Public Policy Survey from the...

In the Media

Indignation as Michigan judge drops Flint water charges against GOP ex-Gov Snyder

Dec 12, 2022 nationofchange.org

Environmental justice advocates on Friday condemned a move by a district judge in Michigan to drop two misdemeanor charges against former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder in connection with the 2014 Flint water crisis that killed dozens of residents of...

In the Media

Michigan Judge Drops Flint Water Charges Against Ex-Gov Snyder, Sparking Outrage

Dec 10, 2022 Truthout.org

In the Media

Indignation as Michigan Judge Drops Flint Water Charges Against GOP Ex-Gov Snyder

Dec 10, 2022 CommonDreams.org

In the Media

Meet the election deniers on the cusp of controlling U.S. elections

Oct 31, 2022 CBC

Let's try imagining what the next U.S. presidential election might look like. It's 2024. It's been a bitter, hard-fought campaign. Votes are being...

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Commentary: Political violence has no place in our elections

Oct 24, 2022 Crain's Detroit Business

Elections are contentious, but in recent years they have gotten uglier, with the rise in political violence polluting our...

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Study finds many election workers feel harassed. Here's what local officials say

Oct 24, 2022 Livingston Daily

The findings are contained in the spring results from the Michigan Public Policy Survey, a regular poll of all 1,856 local governments in the...

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Survey examines election security, disinformation

Oct 12, 2022 Michigan Today

Michigan township and city officials are now even more confident in their jurisdiction’s election security and ability to administer an accurate election than when asked a similar question in 2020, when confidence was already high, according to...