Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy

Students

Mia Brodeur

Policy Analyst

Mia is a Research Assistant for Close UP on the U.P. She is an undergrad at LSA (class of 2024) studying German, Linguistics, and Translation. Mia is from the Upper Peninsula and is interested in the attitudes and policies of U.P…

Students

Elizabeth Gelman

Policy Analyst

[email protected]

Elizabeth is a Policy Analyst helping the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission incorporate public comments in the senate map redraw process. She recently earned a Master of Public Policy at the Ford School (Class of 2024) and holds…

Students

Danielle Hamer

Policy Analyst

[email protected]

Danielle Hamer is a Policy Analyst conducting analysis and reports to support the integration of public input in Michigan's redistricting process. She is a newly graduated Master of Public Policy from the Ford School. Danielle has a background in…

Students

Ingrid Hofmann

Policy Analyst

[email protected]

Students

Katelyn Jasmin

Policy analyst

Katelyn is a research assistant who is analyzing local governments in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She is an undergraduate student at the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (class of 2026), and is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English…

Students

Luca Kato

Policy analyst

Luca Kato is interning as a Fiscal Health Open Source Software Developer working on a tool for converting financial data into tagged XBRL format. He is set to graduate with a Bachelors in Computer Science in 2024. Luca is interested in financial…

Students

Marc Metz

Policy Analyst

[email protected]

Marc is a Research Assistant working on CLOSUP’s latest iteration of the Michigan Public Policy Survey focused on criminal justice. He is an undergraduate in the Ford School class of 2025 majoring in Public Policy. Marc is interested in local…

Students

Edward Plaut

Policy Analyst

[email protected]

Edward Webre Plaut is the team lead for the CLOSUP team advising the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission on its public comment submissions for its 2024 redrawing of the Michigan State Senate Map. Eddie has a B.A. in history and…

Students

Johanna Walker

Policy Analyst

[email protected]

Jo is a Policy Analyst working to report data from CLOSUP's 2023 Michigan Public Policy Survey. She is a Masters student at the School for Environment and Sustainability (class of 2025), and has a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of…

Staff

Mariam Negaran

Administrative Coordinator/Project Coordinator, Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy

Mariam Negaran is the Administrative Coordinator/Project Coordinator for the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy Program. She has also supported the Weiser Diplomacy Center; Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program (STPP); the Program in…

Staff

Margaret Walthall

Research and Data Specialist

Margaret joined CLOSUP as our research and data specialist in September 2023, after having worked at the Center as a student policy analyst during her master's program in the Ford School. During her studies, Margaret worked on CLOSUP's Fiscal Health…

Research and Engagement

Research is at the core of CLOSUP's mission. We believe research about and with state and local governments can inform policy on key issues and helps strengthen our democracy’s foundation at its grassroots. We leverage the deep knowledge across...

Publication

Fewer local leaders in Michigan feeling positive about how democracy is functioning in state, U.S.

Aug 15, 2024

Local leaders in Michigan are slightly less optimistic in their views on the health of democracy at the state and national levels, according to an ongoing survey by the University of Michigan.Although assessments of civic health at the national...

Fewer local leaders in Michigan feeling positive about how democracy is functioning in state, U.S.

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Policy Brief: Michigan local government leaders’ concerns about the health of democracy edge upward, including at local level

Aug 14, 2024

A new MPPS policy brief presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders on a variety of issues across the state for their assessments of American democracy as a system of government, based on factors like free and fair elections, rule of...

Publication

More Michigan communities developing renewable energy goals, CLOSUP survey finds

Jul 17, 2024

The percentage of Michigan local governments that say they have or are considering renewable energy goals has doubled since 2019.Local officials also report that a variety of energy issues, such as energy infrastructure zoning and planning for...

More Michigan communities developing renewable energy goals, CLOSUP survey finds

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Michigan local governments’ planning and zoning on energy policy

Jul 17, 2024

A new MPPS report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders on a variety of energy issues, including whether energy issues are relevant to their local government, whether their jurisdiction has energy policies or renewable energy...

News

CLOSUP categorizes ‘a tsunami’ of public input to help redraw Michigan districts

Jul 10, 2024

Students working with the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) have created a system to help a Michigan commission collect and analyze public comments about drawing Michigan’s congressional and state legislative...

Redistricting Panel: Approved, and now voted on

Publication

Most local officials support rooftop solar, a majority opposes nuclear power

May 22, 2024

Michigan’s local leaders overwhelmingly support adding rooftop solar infrastructure in their communities, while a majority strongly oppose developing nuclear power.Those are among the key findings in the latest Michigan Public Policy Survey...

Most local officials support rooftop solar, a majority opposes nuclear power

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Michigan local government officials’ views on expanding energy infrastructure in their jurisdictions

May 22, 2024

A new MPPS report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders on the amount of energy infrastructure currently hosted in their jurisdiction, as well as their support for or opposition to building new energy infrastructure locally....

Transmission lines, turbines and solar panels

Publication

More local officials see relevance of electric vehicle planning

May 2, 2024

Local officials across Michigan increasingly view electric vehicle infrastructure planning as relevant for their governments, though many cite too few public charging stations and costs associated with adding them as barriers to expansion.The...

More local officials see relevance of electric vehicle planning

News

Ford School researchers to study Michigan’s education governance

May 1, 2024

In partnership with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), a team of researchers from the Ford School will conduct a study into how Michigan’s education governance system can be improved for the benefit of public school students.“An effective...

Ford School researchers to study Michigan’s education governance

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Michigan local government leaders report increases in local planning for electric vehicles (EVs)

May 1, 2024

A new MPPS report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders on electric vehicle (EV) policies in their communities, including the relevance of EV infrastructure planning for their government, whether they currently have or are...

CLOSUP Updates

New Fiscal Health Project Report: The Fiscal Health of Michigan Local Governments 2021 - 2022

Apr 8, 2024

Following local government’s unprecedented responsibilities as first responders to the COVID-19 pandemic and their subsequent infusions of aid from the federal government, a new report from CLOSUP's Fiscal Health Project checks in on the fiscal...

Michigan local governments face ARPA spending challenges with inflation and supply chain issues

News

Ford school faculty available to weigh in on 2024 elections

Jan 28, 2024

The University of Michigan has published an experts guide to the 2024 elections. Ford School faculty are available to offer insights on relevant issues impacting the elections, including the following: Economics Betsey Stevenson, professor of...

Ford school faculty available to weigh in on 2024 elections

News

Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of democratic functioning improve from 2021 low, but first signs of trouble at local level emerge

Dec 11, 2023

Michigan local leaders’ assessments of democracy at the national level have improved marginally for two years in a row after a sharp decline in 2021, largely due to fewer local officials rating American democracy as poorly functioning. Similarly,...

Michigan local government leaders’ assessments of democratic functioning improve from 2021 low, but first signs of trouble at local level emerge

News

Challenges continue for state-local relations, according to Michigan local government leaders

Nov 10, 2023

Over half of Michigan local officials currently rate their jurisdiction’s overall relationship with the State government as just fair or even poor, while 34% of local officials say it is either good or excellent. It is an important relationship...

Challenges continue for state-local relations, according to Michigan local government leaders

In the Media

Meijer's impeachment vote makes it "significantly more challenging" for Republican Senate nomination - Ivacko

Nov 6, 2023 Newsweek

Tom Ivacko, Newsweek: "Criticism of Trump is one thing, but a vote to impeach is another, and won't easily be forgotten or forgiven by MAGA voters. So while many politicians can pivot or change their appeal to various factions, MAGA voters would be...

Meijer's impeachment vote makes it "significantly more challenging" for Republican Senate nomination - Ivacko

News

Michigan’s smaller local governments need help accessing state and federal grants

Oct 11, 2023

As unprecedented state and federal funding opportunities have emerged over the past 18 months with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, Michigan local government leaders have expressed their concern...

Michigan’s smaller local governments need help accessing state and federal grants

In the Media

Leiser on the far-right shift in the Ottawa County government

Oct 5, 2023 MLive

“It’s almost as if instead of leading with, ‘OK, what’s our job in this jurisdiction in this county? What services do we provide?’ – and then sort of taking the cues from citizens and policy from there – it’s like a flipped script,” said Stephanie...

Leiser shares expertise on government financial reporting in webinar

Publication

Housing shortages across Michigan alarming local leaders - Michigan survey

Sep 14, 2023

Michigan local officials are reporting alarm at the lack of housing options across the state. Those concerns include single-family homes and multi-family units, and cut across affordable, entry-level and mid-level housing availability. The results...

Housing shortages across Michigan alarming local leaders - Michigan survey