State government

Michigan Redistricting Project

In 2018, Michigan voters approved a ballot initiative that moved responsibility for drawing Michigan's congressional and state legislative districts from the Michigan Legislature to a newly-formed bipartisan Michigan Independent Citizens Redistrictin...

In the Media

Leiser: possibility of state shutdown is difficult to predict

Sep 19, 2025 Midland Daily News

The likelihood of a shutdown is difficult to predict, said Stephanie Leiser, who leads the Michigan Local Government Fiscal Health Project at the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy and has worked as a tax policy analys...

Leiser: possibility of state shutdown is difficult to predict

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Policy Brief: Challenges continue for state-local relations, according to Michigan local government leaders

Nov 1, 2023

A new policy brief presents local government officials’ assessments of the relationship between their jurisdiction and Michigan’s state government. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the spring 2023 wave of t...

MPPS in the news

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

Oct 11, 2023 Pion News

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 concerns about gett...

News

CLOSUP and Ivacko applauded for partnering with city of Flint

Dec 8, 2021

News outlets are applauding Tom Ivacko and the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy's announcement about a project with the city of Flint that will examine whether a new fiscal reporting mechanism can help create transparency in local fiscal rep...

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

CLOSUP Updates

MPPS Report: The lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Michigan communities and local governments

Oct 27, 2021

A new report from the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) presents local government leaders’ views on the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan in 2021, including overall impacts on local communities, evaluations of governmental co...

Publication

Policy memo: Leiser and Ivacko on "State and local governments as partners in our national recovery"

Jan 25, 2021

As the Biden administration embarks on its first hundred days, experts from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy have produced a series of policy briefs on key issues. Download the PDF of this brief or read the web-formatted version below. ...

Leiser and Ivacko opinion: The new COVID relief bill can be a rebirth for Michigan communities

In the Media

Michigan Government in Transition panel talks transition from campaign to governing

Sep 29, 2019 The Michigan Daily

The Domestic Policy Corps and the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy held a Governor Transition Leaders Panel Friday afternoon at the Ford School of Public Policy.. The event featured six speakers, all of whom worked on various Michigan gubern...

In the Media

Michigan Treasurer Nick Khouri looks to building more efficient economy

Mar 28, 2018 The Michigan Daily

MPPS in the news

When Lansing steps in for city hall: State legislators taking away more local decision-making

Oct 29, 2017 The Herald-Palladium, St. Joseph, MI

MPPS in the news

Local government officials say they're losing authority

Oct 29, 2017 The Herald-Palladium, St. Joseph, MI

MPPS in the news

Is the State Failing to Support Local Governments?

Oct 17, 2017 WDET Radio, 101.9 FM

MPPS in the news

State bans stir critics to ask: Does Lansing know best?

Oct 16, 2017 The Detroit News

MPPS in the news

Are state-local tensions worse in counties?

Jun 26, 2017 Barrett and Greene

MPPS in the news

Report: Michigan Preemption Is a Case-by-Case Problem for Localities

Jun 16, 2017 Route Fifty

MPPS in the news

Local Officials Say State Stripping Them Of Authority

Jun 16, 2017 Gongwer

MPPS in the news

Recent study shows local government leadersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ discontent with Michigan state government

May 7, 2017 The Michigan Daily

MPPS in the news

Listen to us,' local Michigan leaders tell Lansing in new survey

May 5, 2017 The University Record

MPPS in the news

Pooling resources could help local governments afford services

May 5, 2017 Michigan Radio

News

Michigan News release: In CLOSUP survey, Michigan's local leaders ask Lansing to listen

May 4, 2017

Many local government leaders across Michigan aren't content with their jurisdiction's relationship with state government, according to a new survey by University of Michigan researchers. The latest Michigan Public Policy Survey explored factors th...

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

MPPS in the news

Listen to Us,' Local Michigan Leaders Tell Lansing

May 3, 2017 Targeted News Service

MPPS in the news

Survey Finds Frayed Relations in Michigan Between Local Governments and State

May 3, 2017 Route Fifty

MPPS in the news

Interview regarding state-local government relations

May 3, 2017 WILS Radio, Lansing, Capital City Recap with Michael Cohen

MPPS

MPPS Policy Brief: A majority of Michigan local officials continue to say the state is on the wrong track, reflecting partisan affiliation and growing uncertainty

July 22, 2025

This policy brief presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the direction in which the state is headed, as well as their evaluations of the job performance of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature. These ...

MPPS

The functioning of democracy at the local level: a compendium of findings from the Michigan Public Policy Survey of local leaders

October 28, 2024

The Ford School’s 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

MPPS Policy Brief: Challenges continue for state-local relations, according to Michigan local government leaders

November 1, 2023

This policy brief presents local government officials’ assessments of the relationship between their jurisdiction and Michigan’s state government. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the spring 2023 wave of th...

MPPS

Local leaders' evaluations of Michigan's direction and Governor's performance during the COVID-19 pandemic's arrival

July 16, 2020

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the direction in which the state is headed, as well as their evaluations of the job performance of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature. These findin...

MPPS

New Governor, new evaluations of the direction Michigan is headed among local leaders

August 1, 2019

This report presents the opinions of Michigan's local government leaders regarding the direction in which the state is headed, as well as their evaluations of the job performance of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature. These findin...

MPPS

Michigan local leaders’ views on state preemption and how to share policy authority

June 1, 2017

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding concerns over state government preemption of local decision making and preferred areas of shared and separate policy authority between local and state government. The ...

MPPS

Improving communication, building trust are seen as keys to fixing relationships between local jurisdictions and the State government

April 1, 2017

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the relationships between their local jurisdictions and the State government, including particular factors that affect State-local relations, how those relations could...