The prevalence of on-line retirement planning tools including so-called “Robo Advisors” has increased dramatically in recent years. Students explored questions such as: What is known about the availability and construction of publicly available Robo Advisors for participants to use in planning for a secure retirement, and what is the nature and quality of the advice provided? How are these on-line tools treated under law and regulation compared to human advisors and service providers? What legislative or regulatory actions, if any, can the congress and the administration take to ensure that...

About half of workers—especially those who are low income or employed by small firms—lack access to a retirement savings plan through their employer. To address this issue, a growing number of states have proposed or begun implementing programs to provide access to workers whose employer does not offer a retirement plan. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is interested in learning more about recent developments in state efforts to expand coverage in retirement savings plans. For this project, students conducted internet searches and conducted in-depth case studies of 2-3 states to...

The Ann Arbor City Council asked the city’s CFO to recommend a new approach to the city’s budgeting process that would better engage citizens and produce a budget that is more responsive to their preferences. Students conducted research on best practices in peer communities, interviewed key informants and stakeholders, and made recommendations to the...

The students examined and made recommendations related to the potential benefits of multi-county public defense...

During this projects, students supported the organization’s effort to prepare for grassroots-driven community and economic development.  They researched the development of the Virginia Park neighborhood by analyzing data sets and surveys spanning from 1976 to present day in order to address the needs of residents and outline a plan for future...

The students developed  a series of policy recommendations aimed at reducing the scope and impact of antiquities...

This project focused on the preparation for the introduction of legalized marijuana into the city of Ann Arbor. It was in partnership with the City of Ann Arbor and Mayor Christopher Taylor. Student was responsible for identifying peer communities in states that have recently legalized marijuana and for conducting research on their experiences. The student was also responsible for utilizing interviews, web searches and surveys and policy research to develop requested...

The students’ research helped in the development of a policy agenda that the Detroit Regional Chamber can use to champion providing educational opportunity for low-income...

The student team assisted the community partners to make the case for development of affordable housing.  They also helped determine which parcels might be most feasible and/or best suited for this sort of development, allowing the partners to prioritize which parcels are recommended to City Council for affordable housing or mixed-income...

This project focused on researching the framework for approaching and defining food systems in Michigan with the intent of informing future policy recommendations. These recommendations will aid in the creation or revision of educational and technical training programs to fill identified workforce/talent gaps. Student provided assistance with conducting informant interviews and developing a case study example around Michiganders who perform various food systems jobs. The student also helped with secondary data collection and analysis, as well as employer outreach, cataloguing and vacancy...