Policy Reports

This memo provides a comprehensive analysis of the CLOSUP team’s work in assisting the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) in the analysis of public comments submitted during the 2024 Senate Mapping Redistricting process....

This brief provides a review of CLOSUP analysis of public comments submitted to the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) in spring 2024 as part of the effort to draw new maps in Southeast Michigan as directed by a federal...

This memo provides an initial summary of CLOSUP analysis of public comments submitted to the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) in spring 2024 as part of the effort to draw new maps in Southeast Michigan as directed by a...

To learn more about the views of former state legislators—many of whom were term-limited out of office—a survey was conducted in 2020 and 2021. This policy brief highlights key findings about the former legislators’ lessons from serving in Lansing...

The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) was launched at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy in 2001 to provide public service to the people and communities of Michigan. Over the years, CLOSUP has...

Our March survey of academic experts included a state democracy module cosponsored by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School for Public Policy. The module asked expert respondents to rate...

This report presents the views of Pennsylvania citizens on a range of issues related to extraction of natural gas through "fracking" procedures. The report responds to a discovery of potentially massive deposits beneath the Marcellus Shale and a...

The following report summarizes results drawn from  national level surveys in the United States and Canada that examine public perceptions regarding various aspects of climate change. Since 2008, the National Survey of American Public Opinion on...

A “sales tax holiday” is a period of time, usually lasting a few days, during which state sales tax and sometimes local sales taxes are not levied on a set of goods. This report begins with a history of sales tax holidays and a discussion of the...

On April 20, 2006, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm signed into law the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) establishing some of the most ambitious core graduation requirements in the nation. The curriculum requires all students in the graduating...

Reforming the system of care for homeless and precariously housed individuals and families is a central objective of Washtenaw County’s Blueprint to End Homelessness. This objective recognizes that improved understanding of the relationship...

This study seeks to provide detailed data on the perspectives of Michiganians regarding global warming and various policy options available to reduce human impacts on the earth’s...

Based on two recent studies of the Michigan and national workforce development systems, this report examines how Michigan’s local workforce agencies are coping with the state’s recent economic decline, and how their relationships with economic...

This report examines evidence of Michigan’s continuing economic transition and considers the state’s capacity to reinvent itself by replacing its 20th century industrial economy with a 21st century knowledge...

Parks and recreation facilities are often considered indicators of a community’s quality, as they typically contribute to the health and well-being of community residents. Based on data from the 2001 Detroit Area Study, this report examines park...

This report reviews issues related to public services and facilities, local government performance, and taxation in southeast Michigan, as examined in the 2001 Detroit Area Study...

In early 2005, Washtenaw County, Michigan administered its second annual Point-in-Time Homeless Survey, designed to collect information on all sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons residing within Washtenaw County at a single point in time....

This report reviews transportation related issues in southeast Michigan, as examined in the 2001 Detroit Area Study...

There is a growing debate across Michigan and the U.S. about the relationships between new school construction and community growth. Oft-stated concerns are that the siting of new schools in undeveloped or “exurban” locations is contributing to...

This report summarizes one of the first academic studies to systematically examine the factors that affect the formation and ongoing operations of regional governmental planning efforts related to land use issues. Michigan law (as with many states)...

Many California communities have adopted urban growth boundaries (UGBs) as a means of planning for and managing future development. This report uses data obtained through a new survey of municipal planning officials to explore the proliferation of...