Public event

The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) invites our Washington DC colleagues to attend a discussion hosted by the Wilson Center/Canada Institute featuring CLOSUP Director, Barry Rabe, and our collaborating National Surveys on Energy and Environment (NSEE) partners, Christopher Borick, Director, Muhlenberg Institute of Public Opinion, and Erick Lachapelle, Assistant Professor, University of Montreal.  The discussion will feature findings from the FALL 2015 round of ongoing survey work in both Canada and the US.  Key themes will include public views on whether climate change is occurring, response to a range of possible policy options across levels of government, and reaction to Pope Francis' recent engagement on the issue.  The U.S. portion of the survey will also include an early look at how Americans want their states to respond to the new Clean Power Plan.  The session is free but requires registration.  Please call 202-691-4000 or email [email protected] to reserve your seat.

This program features some of the best scholars of interest groups, policy advocacy, and social movements in the country.  The papers presented span three disciplines (Political Science, Economics, Sociology) and include work that is experimental, formal, historical, comparative, qualitative, and quantitative. They deal with a number of topics, including corporate and nonprofit advocacy, health and environmental policy, and campaign finance.

All are welcome as we gather to acknowledge thepassing of emeritus professor Robert Stern and to commemorate his distinguished career.

Join us for a special screening of Project 22, a documentary created by combat veterans intended to raise awareness about and prevent veteran suicides.

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Michigan Theater present The Diplomat with a special introduction by former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher R. Hill. The Diplomat tells the remarkable story of the life and legacy of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whose singular career spans fifty years of American foreign policy from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Told through the perspective of his eldest son David, the documentary takes you behind the scenes of high stakes diplomacy where peace is waged and wars are ended.

On January 19th, Governor Snyder delivers his 6th State of the State address. And, for lawmakers, lobbyists, and interest groups, the annual speech is the opportunity to create a red carpet moment for their policy goals. So, what does it take to get there? It's Just Politics co-hosts Zoe Clark (of Michigan Radio) and Rick Pluta (of the Michigan Public Radio Network) will talk about the marketing, the relationship-building, the polling, and the background research that’s needed to push some issues past the competing interests to get that rare, valuable mention as the governor sets his agenda for the year.

A presentation and Q&A on the Iran deal featuring two White House officials, including one of the Administration's negotiators.From the speakers: This presentation will lay out the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiated between six major world powers and Iran after nearly two years of highly technical and painstaking sessions. Presenters include Paul Irwin, one of the negotiators, who will detail what the deal does and how it addresses international concerns about Iran's nuclear program, and Matt Nosanchuk, Associate Director for Public Engagement and Liaison to the American Jewish Community and on International Issues, and a native Detroiter.

How is it possible that the United States, which spends more than any other nation on health care and insurance, now has a population markedly less healthy than those of many other nations? Sociologist and public health expert James S. House calls for a complete reorientation of how we think about health.

Universal child care has been a longstanding goal of child care advocates in both Canada and the United States since the 1960s, yet in 2016 that goal remains stubbornly elusive in both federations despite decades of activism. Responsibility for child care delivery has been shared in both countries between federal, “meso” (provincial/state), and local governments with more of that responsibility being downloaded to the state/provincial level since the 1990s. Dr. Collier will present two meso level cases (Ontario and Michigan) to understand how child care advocates have navigated these decentralized landscapes. What factors explain successful policy outcomes and what barriers persist? Are universal programs and longer term social justice advocacy claims viable in decentralized federations?  View the poster.

This talk will explore policies such as taxation, disclosure and regulation of drilling processes in a comparative manner across the states and municipalities on the Marcellus shale play.

The “Michigan’s Municipal Water Infrastructure: Policy Choices and Issues” conference is being sponsored by a consortium of universities across the state, with the hope of bringing a voice of academic research and analysis to the topic of municipal water policy in the state (particularly relevant in the face of the crisis in Flint). Faculty will present on a range of issues: from water supply engineering issues to municipal funding needs to health and environmental impacts to state and federal regulation.For more information and to register, please visit http://events.anr.msu.edu/MMWI/  This conference is free, however space is limited so please register early to secure your spot.

What are the ramifications of partisan drawn districts that favor one party over another? Is there a better and fairer way to do this? What are the alternatives? This presentation, hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area, will explore how legislative lines are drawn in Michigan, who draws them and why it is a critically important question for those concerned about fair representation.  

Dr. Gottschalk is a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania specializing in American criminal justice politics. In her presentation, she will examine why the carceral state, with its growing number of outcasts, remains so tenacious in the United States.

Homecoming tailgate at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse and football game at Michigan Stadium

The International Institute and the International Policy Center host a panel discussion with foremost experts on the Middle East and the threat of ISIS.  

Juan R.I. Cole, Professor of Middle East and South Asian History, University of Michigan. Professor Cole has written extensively about modern Islamic movements in Egypt, the Persian Gulf, and South Asia. Since the 2002 launch of his weblog, 'Informed Comment: Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion,' Cole has become a prominent media commentator and has published political writings in The Guardian, the San Jose Mercury News, Salon.com, the San Francisco Chronicle, and The Nation.

Rebecca Blank will deliver the Citi Foundation Policy Talks @ the Ford School keynote of the two-day Poverty, Policy, and People: 25 Years of Research and Training at the University of Michigan.

100 years of policy at Michigan. 100 ways to show your Ford School spirit. One fun way? Attend the fourth annual Worldwide Ford School Spirit Day, coming this July to a city near you.

The Ford School welcomes human rights scholar Alejandro Castillejo-Cuéllar, associate professor and chair of Anthropology Department at the Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.

The IPC is honored to convene this panel of intellectuals, human rights professionals and policy experts. Panelists have in depth experience with the conflicts, negotiations and political settlements in Colombia, South Africa, Guatemala and Nigeria.