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News

Michigan's redistricting effort makes slow but steady progress, despite delayed data, other challenges - Chamberlin

Feb 25, 2021

John Chamberlin, Ford School professor emeritus of political science and public policy, describes himself as a "redistricting junkie." Not unexpectedly, he possesses a keen interest in and understanding of the efforts under way to develop Michigan's...

Chamberlin on lawmaker transparency and redistricting

News

Mills selected for Department of Energy grant to study utility-scale solar

Dec 18, 2020

Sarah Mills, senior project manager at the Center on Local, State, and Urban Policy, has been selected for a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. Mills, along with School for Environment and Sustainability...

Mills selected for Department of Energy grant to study utility-scale solar

News

Trust in government in a time of questioning: local governance leads the way

Dec 17, 2020

In a time of growing suspicion about the role of government at the state and national level, a good news story emerges when looking at local governance in Michigan. The conclusion of a new compendium study, The Functioning of Democracy: Insights...

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

News

Michigan local leaders trust their local democratic institutions far more than those at state or federal levels

Oct 27, 2020

The political adage is that “All politics are local.” The same could be said of how local leaders feel about the health of democratic governance. That is according to a report on Michigan’s local leaders released today by the Center for Local,...

More than half of Michigan local governments report personnel harassed, abused for doing their jobs

News

U-M survey: More than half of Michigan's local governments have developed energy plans

Oct 7, 2020 Michigan News

More than half of local government officials in Michigan see improving energy efficiency for local businesses or residents as relevant to their jurisdiction's government, according to a survey by the Ford School's Center for Local, State, and Urban...

U-M survey: More than half of Michigan's local governments have developed energy plans

News

98% of Michigan local officials are confident of accurate 2020 voting administration

Oct 5, 2020

Confidence in running accurate elections among Michigan local government leaders remains very high, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and an expected high voter turnout, according to a survey released October 5 by the the Center for...

98% of Michigan local officials are confident of accurate 2020 voting administration

News

U-M survey finds strong interest among Michigan communities in sustainability and energy collaborations

Sep 30, 2020

Few local governments in Michigan report collaborating with another community on energy and sustainability issues, but nearly half expressed interest in teaming up with others to pursue opportunities, according to survey results released today by...

Michigan local leaders report widespread support for community recycling programs

News

Ford School students help local townships navigate and adapt during pandemic

Sep 29, 2020

Four teams of undergraduate and graduate Ford School students embarked on research and engagement projects this past summer to help the Michigan Township Association (MTA) better understand the state of affairs for local townships and the challenges...

Ford School students help local townships navigate and adapt during pandemic

News

U-M study aims to clarify 'communities of interest' as Michigan prepares for legislative redistricting

Sep 14, 2020 Michigan News

An Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will redraw state and federal legislative districts in Michigan in 2021 with a mandate: The districts must reflect the state's diverse population and communities of interest. The requirement is one...

U-M survey finds early lack of awareness among local leaders with state’s new approach to redraw legislative districts

News

Students support local organizations to improve equity

Aug 28, 2020

One element of the struggle for economic equity in Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) communities is the intentional denial of support networks that provide funding, customers, connections or other resources for businesses and...

Students support local organizations to improve equity

News

Confidence in Michigan’s 2020 Census count among local officials slipping

Aug 25, 2020

Gathering 2020 Census data was always going to be complicated, as the U.S. Commerce Department varied its criteria and reduced the budget for in-person contact in the lead-up to the count. When the pandemic struck in March, just before the official...

Confidence in Michigan’s 2020 Census count among local officials slipping

News

Michigan local government leaders back expanded absentee voting, ballot reforms

Jul 28, 2020

Amid the national debate over the safety and efficacy of absentee voting, Michigan can offer an example of how election reforms will play out in the 2020 election. And the battleground state's local officials have an overall positive outlook about...

Michigan local government leaders back expanded absentee voting, ballot reforms

News

Local leaders' mixed messages and fading outlook in annual Michigan Public Policy Survey

Jul 20, 2020

Michigan local government officials’ attitudes about the direction of the state, and the performances of the governor and the legislature have improved from last year, but remain more negative than positive. The 2020 Michigan Public Policy Survey...

News

CLOSUP finds Michigan local government leaders report widespread crisis-level impacts from COVID-19 pandemic

Jun 24, 2020

Leaders across Michigan have reported problems supporting their communities in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic—with many saying they failed to get needed health or financial help in one of the hardest-hit states, according to a survey by...

News

COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource Guides for Local Governments produced by CLOSUP and partners

May 11, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis is having a dramatic impact on Michigan's local governments, and the fiscal implications — including emergency spending, revenue losses, and budget cuts — are already being felt. The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy...

COVID-19 Fiscal Strategy and Resource Guides for Local Governments produced by CLOSUP and partners

News

Governors have emerged as President Trump's main opposition, according to Rabe

May 1, 2020

Tensions between Democratic governors and President Trump has been growing for years. Response to the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated and amplified those conflicts, so that Democratic governors, who have alternately criticized the President and...

Governors have emerged as President Trump's main opposition, according to Rabe

News

CLOSUP helps local governments navigate fiscal challenges during global pandemic

Apr 23, 2020

New research from the Center for Local State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP)’s Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) measures the impact that the COVID-19 crisis will have on local fiscal health. CLOSUP anticipates local governments will be facing a...

CLOSUP helps local governments navigate fiscal challenges during global pandemic

News

Coronavirus response suffers when local government is starved

Mar 20, 2020

Local governments are on the front lines of the response to the coronavirus crisis. Their actions will ultimately shape how well the U.S. can survive COVID-19 and its economic aftermath, according to an opinion contribution in The Hill written by...

Ivacko on federal infrastructure dollars in Michigan

News

Rabe explores taxing methane emissions

Mar 16, 2020

Representing a new line of research, Ford School professor Barry Rabe explores the politics around taxing methane gas releases. Rabe argues that consensus among economists is “the best way to reduce climate risks linked to carbon dioxide emissions...

News

Farmers harvesting the benefits of wind energy

Mar 5, 2020

With U.S. farm bankruptcy rates rising, farmers have been turning to the wind energy to make ends meet. Sarah Mills, senior project manager at the Ford School's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) was featured in a USA Today article...

News

CLOSUP presents to lawmakers at Wolverine Caucus

Feb 28, 2020

Tom Ivacko and Debra Horner from CLOSUP presented findings from the Michigan Public Policy Survey at a Wolverine Caucus presentation on February 25. “Michigan is experiencing its longest–ever period of sustained economic growth, but because of a web...

CLOSUP presents to lawmakers at Wolverine Caucus

News

U-M survey finds sharp increase in energy efficiency steps among Michigan local governments

Jan 15, 2020

Half of Michigan’s local governments have taken steps to improve energy efficiency in their facilities—more than double the 22% who reported similar efforts a decade ago, according to a survey by the University of Michigan Ford School of Public...

News

Fiscal health: Mixed signals for Michigan’s local governments

Dec 11, 2019

ANN ARBOR—More than two-thirds of Michigan’s local government leaders rate their jurisdictions’ current fiscal stress as relatively low, according to a new survey by the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy. On the...

News

Michigan leaders worried about possible effects of next recession

Oct 30, 2019

ANN ARBOR—More than half of Michigan’s local government leaders are concerned about the potential impact of the next recession on their jurisdictions’ ability to deliver public services and maintain government operations. Although local leaders...

Michigan leaders worried about possible effects of next recession

News

MPPS finds divided government means divided opinions

Aug 15, 2019

With 2019 marking the end of eight years of Republican control of both the governor’s office and state legislature, a new University of Michigan survey shows divided opinions among Michigan’s local government leaders about where the state is...

MPPS finds divided government means divided opinions

News

Leiser and Mills contribute to resources for new Michigan Lead and Copper Rule

Jun 27, 2019

The Flint Water Crisis prompted the state of Michigan to adopt a new Lead and Copper Rule (LCR)—the guidelines that water utilities must follow to ensure the public’s health is protected. The most proactive LCR in the country, the University of...

Leiser and Mills contribute to resources for new Michigan Lead and Copper Rule

News

Ivacko makes sense of the recreational marijuana ‘haze’

Jun 18, 2019

As Michigan goes through the transition after voters said “yes” to legalizing recreational marijuana last November, there’s a bit of a “haze,” as the Ford School’s Tom Ivacko puts it, on policy in "‘Haze’ abounds as Michigan struggles to regulate...

Ivacko discusses opioid interventions on Michigan Radio

News

Michigan’s local elected officials report positive working relationships

Jun 6, 2019

Michigan’s local government leaders report mostly positive relationships among officials on their local governing boards or councils, according to a University of Michigan survey that assessed the tone of discussions and how often they reach...

News

Ivacko discusses opioid interventions on Michigan Radio

May 14, 2019

Tom Ivacko, associate director of the Center for Local, State and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), housed at the Ford School, talks about Michigan’s relationship to the opioid crisis with Michigan Radio’s Paulette Parker. Published May 13, 2019 online, with...

News

Barry Rabe and climate change: the opinions of the 2020 Democratic hopefuls

Apr 19, 2019

While the field of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates grows and the first primaries approach, one of the top issues for the field is climate change. Since his inauguration, President Trump has reversed Obama-era environmental policies, focused...