Michigan Public Policy Survey

CLOSUP Updates

Law enforcement leaders want specialized response programs, new survey says

Feb 27, 2025 Michigan Public

About eight out of every 10 Michigan county sheriffs and local police chiefs support having some type of specialized emergency response that would include professionals in fields like mental health and social work for some 911 calls, according to...

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Michigan local leaders’ views on policing co-response and alternative response teams

Feb 26, 2025

A new MPPS report presents presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders, local chiefs of police, and county sheriffs on alternative approaches to traditional policing that might involve other professionals, such as mental health...

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CLOSUP Updates

Survey asks police chiefs, sheriffs about funding levels

Feb 2, 2025 Moody on the Market

A new survey has found many law enforcement officials around the state view their funding levels as inadequate.The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan says its latest Michigan Public Policy Survey sought the input...

News

Nearly half of Michigan law enforcement officials concerned about funding, according to U-M survey

Jan 23, 2025

Among Michigan law enforcement agency leaders, concerns about funding levels are widespread, with almost half of chiefs of police and county sheriffs saying the local governments they serve do not provide sufficient money for their agencies.However,...

Nearly half of Michigan law enforcement officials concerned about funding, according to U-M survey

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Report: Half of Michigan local law enforcement agencies say they are underfunded, while most local governments are satisfied with their appropriations

Jan 23, 2025

A new MPPS report presents the views of Michigan’s local government leaders, local chiefs of police, county sheriffs, and county prosecutors regarding funding for law enforcement agencies, including assessments of whether sheriff’s offices and...

News

Law enforcement leaders view pretrial diversion programs as a source for positive change

Nov 20, 2024

A majority of Michigan sheriffs, police chiefs and county prosecutors support programs that allow certain offenders to participate in alternative paths to standard criminal prosecution, according to a new University of Michigan study.The broad...

Law enforcement leaders view pretrial diversion programs as a source for positive change

News

Majority of local officials in Michigan lack confidence in ‘red-flag law’ aimed at reducing gun violence

Oct 31, 2024

A majority of local government and law enforcement officials in Michigan say they lack confidence the state’s new “red-flag law” aimed at reducing gun violence will do so, according to a University of Michigan survey.Further, those officials...

Majority of local officials in Michigan lack confidence in ‘red-flag law’ aimed at reducing gun violence

Publication

The functioning of democracy at the local level

Oct 29, 2024

The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) has released a new resource that summarizes Michigan local government leaders' views on democracy and democratic governance. The findings come from the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), a...

The functioning of democracy at the local level

Publication

Local leaders in Michigan sound alarms over hiring, keeping law enforcement officers

Sep 17, 2024

Concerns about hiring and keeping law enforcement officers have skyrocketed among local government officials in Michigan in the past decade.Local law enforcement officials themselves are even more pessimistic about recruitment and retention within...

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.

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

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

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 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

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

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

News

Michigan local government leaders’ views on their employee unions: few changes in relationships or impacts as Right-to-Work comes and goes

Jul 26, 2023

Pluralities of local government leaders across Michigan say the state’s recently repealed "Right-to-Work" law had no impact on issues such as community business growth, the ability of their local government to lure or keep public sector employees,...

News

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

Jun 29, 2023

Michigan local governments are facing challenges in spending the $4.4 billion which was allocated to them in the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), according to a new survey. The funds were intended to support local governments to stabilize...

Building tech to support small towns: U-M team develops digital tool for SEC compliance

News

Most Michigan local officials believe their government workforce reflects their community, though less so in urban areas

Jun 26, 2023

Statewide, two-thirds of local government leaders say their government’s workforce is generally reflective of the community’s racial and/or ethnic composition and three-quarters say it is reflective of the community’s gender makeup. These...

News

Most Michigan local officials continue to say state is on the wrong track, though outlook slightly improved

May 17, 2023

Despite a two-year trend of improvement, nearly 60% of Michigan's local government leaders say the state is on the wrong track in 2023, according to a recent University of Michigan survey. Specifically, 59% see the wrong track, less than the 62%...

News

Michigan environmental leaders analyze CLOSUP recycling report

Apr 9, 2023

The Center for Local, State and Urban Policy released a new report that polled local officials on issues related to recycling as part of the Michigan Local Recycling Policy Project. The Capital News Service gathered reactions from across the...

Michigan environmental leaders analyze CLOSUP recycling report

News

Michigan local leaders report widespread support for community recycling programs

Mar 15, 2023

A strong majority of Michigan local government leaders feel that good governance includes promoting environmental sustainability and “being green”, according to a survey of nearly 1,400 leaders across the state. The survey, a special wave of the...

News

Michigan local government leaders report increased problems with workforce recruitment and retention

Feb 22, 2023

The number of Michigan local government leaders reporting problems retaining their jurisdictions’ workers nearly doubled in 2022 compared with five years earlier. In addition, jurisdictions of all types and sizes have faced increased difficulty...

News

Ford School welcomes local and state elected officials to boost collaborative work

Feb 16, 2023

Elected officials from local, county, and state government came to the Ford School to hear about the potential for collaborations with their offices and the School’s faculty, research centers, and students. Fifteen members of the Michigan State...

Ford School welcomes local and state elected officials to boost collaborative work

News

Michigan local government officials: public employee workforce wages increasing, room for improvement

Jan 24, 2023

Michigan’s local governments report a long trend of increasing employee pay, but a third of local leaders say wages are still too low. The issue is relevant for their finances as 92% of Michigan local governments report having some type of paid...

Michigan local government officials: public employee workforce wages increasing, room for improvement

State & Hill

Think local: CLOSUP checks in with local government officials

Dec 19, 2022

Democracy in the United States and across the globe has been in decline for years, as documented with rigorous tracking methodologies. Freedom House has tracked declines in civil liberties and political rights in the U.S., for example. And the...

Publication

Local government fiscal outlook in Michigan a mixed picture: near-term improvement, long-term challenges

Dec 14, 2022

A majority of Michigan local leaders' assessments of their fiscal stress this year remain essentially unchanged compared to both 2021 and 2020, despite significant infusions of federal and state aid in recent years. The findings come from the...

In the Media

CLOSUP report highlighted

Dec 14, 2022 American City & County

American City & County: Politically driven incidents over the last few years at all levels of government have fundamentally shaken public perception about the health of America’s democracy. Administrators have likewise been impacted. A new study...