Improving democratic government by increasing citizen participation in all aspects of public affairs.

In its formative years, the Ford School earned its reputation as a true pioneer in policy education. Beginning in 1914, we launched the nation's first systematic public service training program for local government leaders. We built the nation's first interdisciplinary, analytic public policy degree in 1968. In 1999, we proudly took the name of the University of Michigan's favorite son, the 38th President of the United States of America.

A recent report authored by Kristin Seefeldt and colleagues from The Urban Institute is the subject of Olga Khazan's article for The Atlantic, "What Happens If You Have No Welfare and No Job?""Spending on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or...

"Remember the Problems with Mortgage Defaults? They're Coming Back with Student Loans," writes Professor Susan Dynarski in The Upshot, The New York Times' curated blog on politics, policy, and economics. "The parallels with the mortgage crisis are...

Cynthia Canty of Stateside, a Michigan Radio program, interviewed Dr. John J.H. "Joe" Schwarz, a physician and former Republican Congressman, about the Veterans Affairs Administration audit that flagged three Michigan VA medical care facilities—in...

As a California judge rules that the state's teacher tenure system is disproportionately harmful to children from low-income families, Dana Goldstein explores the origins and impacts of the state's teacher tenure system—both positive and negative—in...

By Greta GuestWhile a majority of Americans still believe that global warming is occurring, the cold and snowy winter of 2014 created more disbelievers, according to a newly released survey by the National Surveys on Energy and Environment. The...

The latest edition of the Ford School feed, an email news source for alumni and friends of the school, is now available.This summer edition: invites alumni and friends to RSVP for the Centennial Reunion in the fall and Worldwide Ford School Spirit...

In the June 9 Money magazine article, "Does Money Buy Happiness," Susie Poppick interviews Justin Wolfers on the research he and Betsey Stevenson have done to illuminate the complex relationship between money and happiness.Wolfers discusses the...

"Billions of dollars are spent annually to construct new schools, and to repair and upgrade existing ones," says Isaac McFarlin, a research scientist at the Ford School. "In 2008 alone, state and local governments spent more than $66 billion to...