CLOSUP Lecture Series

Free and open to the public – this is a virtual webinar on Zoom - please register! Student researchers will share their research on the similarities and differences across the urban/rural continuum with respect to: the state of civic discourse; public participation in decision-making; citizen engagement; internet connectivity and access to information; and privatization of local government services.  

Students of PUBPOL 456/756 invite the public to join them for a debate featuring prospective candidates for the city council in Ann Arbor. 

Students of PUBPOL 456/756 invite the public to join them for a debate featuring prospective candidates for the city council in Ann Arbor. 

Join Karl Hausker, Senior Fellow at World Resources Institute Energy and Climate Program as he discusses climate challenges and solutions of getting to net-zero emissions.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will deliver opening remarks for a panel discussion on "Communities of Interest" and the important role they will play in Michigan's new redistricting process beginning in 2020.

The Local Voices Network is a community-driven listening network which aims to improve our understanding of one another through communication.  Kathy Cramer, one of the groups' founders, will talk about how it works and what 's coming out of  the chapters in Wisconsin, New York, Massachusetts, and Alabama.  

Join the students of PUBPOL 750: Renewable Energy Policy at the State & Local Level for a Student Symposium on State & Local Renewable Energy Policy.  Students will share their research on the web of state and local policies facilitating and hindering renewable energy deployment in California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming.

Does Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) expansion have a positive or negative effect on labor market outcomes and household well being in Washington DC?  Hear Dr. Hardy discuss research on how EITC expansions undertaken by the Washington DC affect income and inequality in the city. 

The Ford School’s Michigan Politics and Policy class (PubPol 475/750) will be joined by Chase Cantrell, Executive Director and Founder of Building Community Value for a discussion about the future of Detroit on Weds Oct 31, 2:30pm. We have moved this class session to the larger Ford School Annenberg Auditorium (1120) so this lecture can be open to the public -- we hope to see you there!

The panel will look at two initiatives on the November 2018 ballot: the Voters Not Politicians initiative to reform redistricting (Proposal 2), and the Promote the Vote initiative to expand voting and registration opportunities (Proposal 3).

Student panels will discuss the implications of their independent research projects on state and local environmental policy on issues including water, energy, climate change, and land use.This event showcases the work of Ford School BA students enrolled in a section of PubPol 495 that is part of the CLOSUP in the Classroom Initiative. 

Since the November 2016 elections, issues surrounding the nuts-and-bolts of election administration have risen to the forefront of discussion and debate, both here in Michigan and across the nation. This CLOSUP event begins with Debra Horner presenting new survey data collected by the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) exploring views of Michigan's local government leaders on: confidence in the accuracy of Michigan elections; problems experienced in election administration; plans to update voting equipment; and support and opposition to a host of potential election reforms. Then Christopher Thomas will explore a range of related issues, placing Michigan’s experiences in broader national context, while discussing the past, present and future of election issues.  Thomas will address topics such as voter registration policy and the effects of President Trump's voter fraud commission as well as recent Supreme Court decisions regarding the Voting Rights Act, control of ballots, voting equipment failure, and allegations of Russian interference, ending with thoughts on challenges and reforms going forward.

Can a carbon price survive in a highly decentralized, fossil-fuel producing nation that is tightly integrated with the economy of the United States? Against the backdrop of worldwide interest in carbon pricing as a way to meet commitments made in Paris, and in the context of a Trump presidency, this talk examines the history, origins and prospects of carbon pricing in Canada. The talk will focus on recent efforts at developing a national carbon price framework at the federal level, the challenges now facing the current federal government as it moves toward implementation, and the prospects for carbon pricing in the future. Specific attention will be paid to the role of recalcitrant provinces, a divided public, and the influence of political developments in the United States. The talk will also explore key controversies over carbon pricing, and highlight potential lessons from the Canadian experience.

With Republicans controlling Congress and the White House following the 2016 elections, Democrats have turned to the states to spur challenges to President Trump’s agenda. Among the most prominent of Trump’s state-level adversaries have been state attorneys general, who in just the first few months of 2017 have challenged federal policy from immigration to the environment. While intergovernmental conflict has continued to deepen, AGs have also found areas of bipartisan cooperation as well. This talk will discuss the role of state AGs during the early months of the Trump Administration. In addition to providing an overview of the various tools AGs have used to gain national prominence, Dr. Nolette will highlight several of the emerging trends in AG activity.

This One-Day Workshop is free and open to the public – but you must register to attend (see below)Space is limited to 50 participants – so register early!Registration/Check-in 8:30am-9:00am Program begins at 9:00am and adjourns at 4:15pmAgenda  http://closup.umich.edu/files/netgains-event-agenda-2017.pdfPresenter bios http://closup.umich.edu/files/netgains-event-bios-2017.pdfIn the environmental realm, people often worry about rebound effects, such that adoption of one pro-environmental behavior will undermine future environmental actions. Others assume that interventions will lead to gateway effects, whereby one pro-environmental behavior leads to others. This workshop will bring together academics, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss behavioral environmental interventions and the complications that arise when multiple behaviors or multiple instances of the same behavior are needed for program success

Student panels will discuss the implications of their independent research projects on state and local environmental policy on issues ranging from recycling and food policy to water and energy.

Development of the Bakken formation represents a multitude of trade-offs. The region is one of the great granaries of the world, but it is also the site of a recent oil and gas boom made possible by hydraulic fracturing. Overlapping with these natural resources is also a grasslands biome - one of the largest areas of grasslands in Canada and the US, which contains breeding grounds for millions of birds. How local residents understand the landscape is crucial to making fair and adequate policy to protect the ecosystem and the economy. This talk examines how landowners grapple with economic, environmental, and social trade-offs when making decisions about land-use.

The 2016 general election will have enormous implications for energy and climate policy in the United States. While much attention will be paid to the positions of presidential candidates, congressional and state elections will also have major implications for how federal and state governments address a variety of crucial issues such as implementing greenhouse gas reduction policies, regulating fracking, crafting subsidies for renewable energy, and much more. Experts with a variety of perspectives will discuss which elections they’re most closely watching, and what different results might mean for energy and climate policy in Michigan, Washington, and beyond.    

Carol O'Cleireacain became Deputy Mayor for Economic Policy, Planning & Strategy in October 2014. She is a nationally recognized expert on fiscally troubled states and local governments.

Free and open to the public.  This lunch lecture features Susan J. Demas, Editor and Publisher of Inside Michigan Politics.

CRC & CLOSUP Ask if Michigan's System of Funding Local Government is Broken Join us for a webinar on Sep 13, 2016 at 1:00 PM EDT. Register now! https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3376805094469781763

Mariam Noland has been widely recognized as the "hero of the Grand Bargain," the landmark effort to save Detroit from bankruptcy. She was a central figure in organizing a collaborative of foundations to donate $816 million to bail out Detroit's pension system and protect the Detroit Art Institute's art from being sold, and will help oversee the Foundation for Detroit's Future, which was established to oversee Grand Bargain funds, for the next 20 years. Ms. Noland will engage in conversation with Megan Tompkins-Stange, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, about her experience as a foundation professional, her views about the role of philanthropy in providing for public needs, and how community foundations act as agents of social change.