CLOSUP Program Manager Tom Ivakco played a key role in designing and implementing the center's Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS)-an innovative effort to query elected and appointed officials from every jurisdiction in Michigan. Tom spoke with...
Another faculty member on loan from the University of Michigan this year is research professor Helen Levy, who was appointed this August to serve a one-year term as a senior economist for the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)—an agency that...
As we celebrate 50 years of international Peace Corps service, the Ford School reflects on the impact of the Fellows/USA program—a fellowship for returned Peace Corps volunteers who agree to complete policy-related internships in underserved U.S....
This September, the U.S. Census office announced that 14.3 percent of Americans are living in poverty, and 16.7 percent (50.7 million) are uninsured. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law eight months ago will welcome 32...
Government leaders in struggling communities across the state tend to be open to combining services with other towns, a new University of Michigan study finds.However, government officials who favor expanding regional planning are less supportive of...
Shobita Parthasarathy was interviewed by German Public Radio about recent debates on the legality of patenting human genes. Since a narrowly decided Supreme Court ruling in the 1980s, the U.S. Patent Office has allowed patents for a variety of life...
State policymakers could better coordinate with local economic developers to improve the economy by cultivating existing businesses in their communities, a new report says.The report from the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) at the...
More than half of Michigan's local governments actively encouraged their citizens to complete their U.S. Census forms this year, helping the state rank fifth nationwide in participation rates, a new survey shows.
Maximizing participation in the...
Some local government leaders in Michigan say the federal stimulus package has been anything but stimulating.
The stimulus package—also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—was designed to create jobs and spur economic...
Mounting evidence suggests that an economic recovery is in view. Unemployment isn't rising as quickly as it once was. Consumer spending has increased for four consecutive months. Household net worth is growing.
While the economy may be turning...
Local government officials from across the state of Michigan were surveyed in Fall 2009 during the second wave of CLOSUP's Michigan Public Policy Survey program. This wave focused on educational, economic, and workforce development issues....
Michigan's local government leaders express an alarming lack of trust in state government leaders in Lansing and significant dissatisfaction with their job performance, a new study shows.
This distrust raises questions about the potential success...
The winter semester kicked off early for Ford School MPP students, who arrived back on campus before classes started for the annual Integrated Policy Exercise (IPE). The topic for this year's IPE was comprehensive immigration legislation, a package...
In a recent op-ed in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Paul N. Courant, James J. Duderstadt, and Edie N. Goldenberg, discuss the importance of public research universities and suggest the federal government needs to help support graduate- and...
The Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) recently published by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) has garnered local and regional media attention. The MPPS, published in conjunction with the Michigan Municipal League, Michigan...
John Chamberlin spoke to the Detroit News about the need for background disclosure of Detroit City Council candidates, especially in light of the number of current members who have faced home foreclosures or failed to pay taxes in a timely...
Applied Policy Seminar Evolves With Student Interests
In the shadow of the Detroit-Windsor Ambassador Bridge, Mexicantown's authentic restaurants and bakeries delight tourists and locals. Every year, millions of Midwesterners drive through the...
The Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) received a W. K. Kellogg Foundation grant to survey local elected officials statewide. The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) received a 12-month W. K. Kellogg...
Josh Brammer (MPP '09)DETROIT – Forbes magazine may have branded Detroit "America's most miserable city" in 2008, but the city has its share of strengths as well as problems.An increasing number of healthcare and film industry jobs have come to the...
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Professor Brian Jacob will be presented the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize in November for his contributions to the field of public policy analysis and management.Jacob, the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of...
Brian Jacob, director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, and researchers from the University of Maryland investigated the correlation between gun shows and gun-related deaths. Their research showed no evidence that gun shows lead to...
Not long after ringing in the New Year, the Masters students at the Ford School of Public Policy traded in their party hats for business casual suits as they prepared to tackle the hefty problem of health care. January 3rd, 2008 marked the first day...
Dan Honig discusses his book, Mission Driven Bureaucrats: "Imagine a world where government workers are not just faceless cogs in a vast bureaucratic machine but passionate individuals dedicated to making a real difference."
Explore actionable solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our time—homelessness—at a moment when our local community is reporting the fastest and highest rates of homelessness in its history. This event features a powerful new documentary, Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness, which examines the root causes of homelessness and explores comprehensive solutions, followed by a panel discussion.
Join us for an unforgettable evening with four trailblazing women in the arts, each bringing their own unique vision on how art can heal our society—on a national, community, and personal level. Part performance, part interactive workshop, and part discussion, this dynamic event explores the themes of care, resilience, and self expression in times of challenge.
Join us for an event that’s more than just a celebration—it’s a call to action. In alignment with the University of Michigan’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium's 2025 theme of "Restless Dissatisfaction: An Urgent Call for the Pursuit of Justice and Equality," we invite students, staff, faculty and the greater community to a powerful and inspiring gathering.
Join us for a virtual workshop on conducting policy and action research within our own communities. Dr. Wilson will use examples from LGBTQ policy research as a jumping off point to explore strategies for navigating the power, privilege and opportunity differentials involved when researchers hope to contribute to policy solutions within their own communities.
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series
The COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd rocked American cities in 2020. The mayors of Chicago and Seattle share their experiences and the lessons of governing during times of crisis.
Kahn Auditorium
Biomedical Science Research Building
The 35th Annual Health Science MLK Lecture, hosted by the University of Michigan School of Medicine / Michigan Medicine, will focus on the exploration of interdisciplinary approaches to achieve health equity. After the lecture, Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes will participate in a panel discussion on health equity.
