CLOSUP publications

As the industrial revolution and capitalism firmly took hold several hundred years ago, the production of excess carbon dioxide and other fossil fuels has negatively influenced the environment. Many fossil fuels, like coal, were cheap, effective,...

Michigan, like many other states, holds final authority over tax policy in the state. In Michigan, the authority to levy local taxes is granted by the State. The State defines a set of regulations and restrictions that local municipalities must...

The future of the environment is a controversial topic in 21st century America. Two polarities exist on the subject of the environment. Typically conservatives reject climate change and doubt any human causation, claiming it to be a mythical...

The state of Michigan faces a unique set of issues in its municipal finance system. Since Michigan’s “Lost Decade,” local governments have seen state obligations to provide revenue go unmet. This decrease in funding has exacerbated issues faced by...

Education has become a key component of the dialogue surrounding the revitalization of Detroit and the economic progress of Michigan. A lot can be said, and has been said, about Michigan’s K-12 education system. Another important aspect is tertiary...

Michigan has long been on the forefront on implementing charter schools. A charter school, sometimes referred to as a public school academy, is a state-funded public school under the state constitution that is operated “under a charter contract...

This paper seeks to explore the issue of unilateral state authority over hydraulic fracturing policy and the possibility/ merits of a shared government model that incorporates local input. This analysis explores the balance of state and local power...

The aspects of New Zealand’s program under the Kyoto Protocol, as well as several others, will be analyzed to determine their success in reducing New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions since the nation’s commitment and subsequent creation of the ETS...