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News

Ivacko evaluates independence of Detroit's IG in lieu of Mayor Duggan investigation

Apr 12, 2019

An investigation into Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has some questioning the impartiality of Inspector General (IG) Ellen Ha. The investigation in Mayor Duggan is looking into the appearance of preferential treatment of a nonprofit prenatal program...

Informing local leaders about fiscal health and economic development image

State & Hill

A thrill for Hills: Reflecting on a career in campaigning & governing

Apr 8, 2019

Rusty Hills' passion for politics started in eighth grade, when he was assigned the role of speechwriter in a mock 1968 presidential election. Today he’s paying the favor forward to scores of Fordies in Political Campaign Strategy & Tactics (PubPol...

State & Hill

Brendan Nyhan's quest for the truth behind fake news

Mar 28, 2019

After receiving his PhD in political science from Duke University in 2009, Brendan Nyhan came to U-M to study health policy as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar. His mentors were the Ford School’s Paula Lantz and Rick Hall. Nyhan was then...

Ciorciari says election won’t curtail Thailand’s political crisis

Mar 27, 2019

Last Sunday Thailand held a much-anticipated election, but critics say no matter the result, the outcome will have little impact on the country’s current political turmoil. On March 22, 2019, the Friday before the election, reporter Stephen Wright...

News

For Democratic candidates, climate issues are a litmus test–but Rabe wonders for how long

Mar 21, 2019

With the 2020 presidential election cycle picking up pace, analysts are noticing thematic trends in candidate platforms. For Democratic hopefuls, one essential theme is having strong answers to climate issues. In Elvina Nawaguna’s March 19, 2019,...

News

United they stood: News roundup of Reps. Dingell and Upton discussion at the Ford School

Feb 22, 2019

Around 200 University of Michigan and Ann Arbor community members gathered in Weill Hall this past Presidents’ Day for a continuation of the Conversations Across Difference speaker series. This iteration, titled “Voices from Across the Aisle,”...

CLOSUP: Local civic discourse heats up in Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula

Feb 22, 2019

In recent years, divisiveness within the political arena has continued to widen the chasm between Democrats and Republicans, especially at the federal level. Municipal government in Michigan has largely remained insulated from such divisiveness,...

Brendan Nyhan explores how campaign coverage reinforces already-constructed narrative

Feb 18, 2019

Authenticity has become political currency, most heavily traded during the run-up to a presidential election. Journalists watch the every move of candidates, looking for signs of being in-or-out of touch. For Professor Brendan Nyhan, this is a...

John Chamberlin shares his concern for a partisan showdown in Michigan

Feb 1, 2019

Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s first month in office was marked as a period of immense unity amongst Democratic leaders in Michigan’s executive branch. While Republicans retain control of the legislature, Governor Whitmer, along with...

An unrealistic alternative: Professor Nyhan's take on third party presidential candidates

Feb 1, 2019

As the field of Democratic hopefuls for the Oval Office in 2020 continues to expand, the potential for a third party dark-horse challenger is already emerging as well. Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, announced that he is considering an...

Sarah Burgard shares her concern on the mental health impact of the government shutdown

Jan 29, 2019

While the longest government shutdown in United States history has ended, many of the 800,000 furloughed federal government employees may have to continue to cope with the devastating effects of temporary unemployment. In her January 24, 2019...

Deardorff questions the economics of Trump’s border wall and the USMCA

Jan 16, 2019

The “will they or won’t they” question continues to circulate around who, if anyone, will pay for a border wall between the United States and Mexico. President Trump has attempted to provide some clarity, but each suggestion only appears to add...

A new Midwest climate initiative? Professor Barry Rabe discusses the potential promise and pitfalls

Jan 11, 2019

With Democratic governors taking office in the Midwest, there is the potential for a reinvigorated regional cap-and-trade agreement that aims to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. Like the 2007 Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction...

CLOSUP Report: Civil discourse predominantly constructive in Michigan local governments

Dec 19, 2018

Ann Arbor—Michigan’s local governments report mostly positive civil discourse among their jurisdiction’s elected officials but less so among residents, according to a University of Michigan survey.Among local elected leaders, 71 percent report...

News

Minimum wage delay—what is it good for? Wolfers adds perspective

Dec 10, 2018

In an attempt to forestall a citizen-led initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage, Michigan GOP legislators approved a gradual increase that would get the state to a $12-minimum in 2022. However, during this lame duck session, they instead...

Is bipartisanship a pipe-dream? Ivacko talks with Salon and NY Times about midterms

Dec 7, 2018

Now that the election is over, political conjecture is turning to what the newly elected will do in office, how (and even if) it forecasts 2020, and in some cases what sitting governments are doing before power changes hands in January. To help make...

Ford School's Michael Barr addresses the likelihood of housing finance reform in the wake of midterm results

Nov 30, 2018

For the first time since 2010, Congressional Democrats will head House committees and decide the agenda for the chamber. Hannah Long’s article for American Banker entitled “Will Democrats’ midterm success spur progress on GSE reform?” explores the...

Professor Barry Rabe explains the importance of Oregon's carbon cap bill

Nov 30, 2018

With the Democratic victories in Oregon’s legislative and gubernatorial elections, one may assume that the state’s proposed carbon cap bill will quickly pass in both chambers of the state legislature and become law as soon as Governor Kate Brown,...

CLOSUP associate director Tom Ivacko examines Michigan's post-midterm political environment

Nov 16, 2018

In light of Republicans maintaining control of Michigan’s legislature, Gretchen Whitmer’s gubernatorial victory last week has many wondering if the newly-elected government will be able to reach bipartisan compromises or if the parties will entrench...

New survey shows bipartisan support for independent investigations

Nov 16, 2018

By Mandira Banerjee | Originally published by Michigan News, November 16, 2018ANN ARBOR—Democrats, Republicans and independents are all less likely to support candidates who would undermine the independence of law-enforced investigations, according...

Cyberattacks are major risk in elections, warns Ford School PhD

Nov 14, 2018

Data security is a hot topic in many aspects of life, including elections. Ford School doctoral student Nadiya Kostyuk’s recent research explores the pervasive threat that lies in the increasing ease of cyberattacks and how it could impact...

Barry Rabe expects Midwest to refocus on climate issues

Nov 14, 2018

With a change of governorships after the midterm elections, one previously passed-over issue is seeing a resurgence. Governors-elect are already showing signs of making climate issues a top-priority in Midwestern states. Daniel Cusick, reporter for...

John Chamberlin explains Voters Not Politicians unique road to success

Nov 8, 2018

The midterm elections proved 2018 to be the year of the underdog. Michigan saw its fair share of history-making candidate and ballot proposal victories, with one that will have a particularly profound impact on the state’s political future. The...

Professor Melvyn Levitsky gives his predictions for Trump-Bolsonaro relationship

Nov 2, 2018

On October 28th, right-wing populism added another presidential office to its ranks with the victory of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. Per protocol, President Trump called his new fellow head of state and offered his congratulations—the first step to...

Melyvn Levitsky on Brazil's Presidential Election

Immigration and the midterms: the pro-immigration push

Oct 29, 2018

As the midterm elections rapidly approach, President Trump is eager to rally his base, escalate voter turnout and see a pro-Trump referenda come November. Returning to his incendiary rhetoric on immigration, a strategy that helped propel Trump to...

News

CLOSUP survey reveals that local officials are perplexed on Prop 1

Oct 12, 2018

On November 6, Michigan voters will have the option to either affirm or oppose Proposal 1, an amendment to the Michigan state constitution that will legalize the use of recreational marijuana. While public opinion polls convey support for the...

News

John Chamberlin responds to criticisms of Michigan’s Proposal 2

Oct 11, 2018

With Michigan’s upcoming election, commentary around the ballot’s Proposal 2, which would establish a citizen’s commission responsible for creating voting district lines, has run the gamut. In the October 10, 2018, piece for Bridge titled “5...

A new majority in Michigan? Professor emeritus John Chamberlin gives hope to aspiring Democrats

Oct 5, 2018

While both Democrats and Republicans remain optimistic heading into November, Democrats have a legitimate opportunity to claim a majority in both chambers of Michigan’s Congress for the first time in years.For MLive, Emily Lawler details how...

Nyhan in Washington Post: Kavanaugh's confirmation could ‘dent’ SCOTUS legitimacy

Oct 5, 2018

In his Washington Post op-ed on October 5, 2018, the Ford School’s Brendan Nyhan states that Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court could seriously damage the Court’s legitimacy amongst the American people.Nyhan enumerates three...

Judicial confirmation, not a criminal trial - Professor Richard Hall recalibrates standard of proof for SCOTUS confirmation

Oct 5, 2018

In the tumultuous confirmation process of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, many want to apply a legalistic gloss to the investigation of sexual assault allegations. Ford School Professor Richard Hall, however, pushes back against granting Kavanaugh the...

Hall characterizes minimum wage bill lobbying activity image