CLOSUP in the Classroom

Connecting research and teaching

Student engagement in and out of the classroom

CLOSUP RA Steve Kraft at Idlewild, MI
CLOSUP RA Steve Kraft at Idlewild, MI

CLOSUP in the Classroom hires students as policy analysts, supports graduate-level internships, hosts events and meetings with policy experts, and helps faculty integrate data into course presentations and curriculum. In the past, CLOSUP has also designed and launched undergraduate courses that integrate research activities, providing students with opportunities to conduct original research with the latest social science data.

Apply to become a CLOSUP policy analyst

CLOSUP policy analysts:

  • Receive hands-on training in social science research methods and practices
  • Work with original data that has not been previously analyzed
  • Help drive CLOSUP's research agenda and contribute to key findings
  • Author and publish research papers on a wide range of policy topics
  • Develop advanced research and writing skills

Meet CLOSUP's student policy analysts

CLOSUP in YOUR Classroom

Michigan Capital Building

Data faculty can use

CLOSUP data can be a powerful tool to enhance classroom learning. Invite us to be a guest speaker in your classroom, access user-friendly raw data and run analyses on the Michigan Public Policy Survey and the National Surveys on Energy and Environment. Contact us to learn more about how to integrate it into your curriculum [email protected].

Student reading

Student Working Papers

CLOSUP's student policy analysts have an opportunity to author research papers on a wide range of policy topics, for publication through CLOSUP's Student Working Paper Series. Whether working with CLOSUP data from the MPPS or NSEE surveys, working on case studies, or other methods, these papers offer an opportunity for students to further develop their research and writing skills and to contribute original research to the wider community.
See student working papers
Map of United States showing partisan fairness metrics for redistricting
Evaluating Congressional Districts

Partisan Advantage Tracker

Former CLOSUP Policy Analyst Henry Fleischman developed the IPPSR Partisan Advantage Tracker (PAT) to evaluate congressional district maps drawn for the U.S. House of Representatives. The PAT measures how much these maps favor one political party over another, in each state, and nationwide. It was developed in partnership with Michigan State University Professor Jon X. Eguia
See the PAT at IPPSR
Students stand in front of a research poster titled "Exploring Economic Development Strategies Municipalities in Rural Michigan," during Ford School's Gramlich showcase

Building tech to support small towns

Students created a system to help a Michigan commission collect and analyze public comments about drawing Michigan’s congressional and state legislative districts.
Read about how U-M students developed a digital tool for SEC compliance
Map of Michigan overlayed on districts map.

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

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 districts.
Read about how students supported the MICRC
Wide shot of the Mackinac bridge

Close Up on the U.P.

Students used results from the Michigan Public Policy Survey to understand the unique experiences of local governments in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in a partnership between CLOSUP, the U-M UP Scholars program, and the online newsletter Rural Insights.
Read about how students helped inform and drive policy-focused community discussion across the U.P.

Success stories

Policy analysts have gone on to prestigious positions and continued to make waves in public policy. Kristy Hartman (AY2012-2013), for example, took her Ford School experience to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and was quoted in the Wall Street Journal regarding new policies on hydraulic fracturing in Colorado.
Learn more about Kristy's story
Headshot of Kristy Hartman

Internship support


CLOSUP also occasionally supports summer internships which are administered by the Ford School's Graduate Career Services Office. These internships place Master's students with state and local government offices and other external organizations working on state and local public policy issues, and are part of the School's Master's program which requires internships between the first and second years of study at the School.

CLOSUP in Your Classroom

CLOSUP data can be a powerful tool to enhance classroom learning. Invite us to be a guest speaker in your classroom, access user-friendly raw data, and run analyses on the Michigan Public Policy Survey and the National Surveys on Energy and Environment. Contact us to learn more about how to integrate it into your curriculum [email protected]

Guide to using Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) data.

Guide to using National Surveys on Energy and Environment (NSEE) data.