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News

Did the U.S. economy shrink by 32.9 percent?

Aug 4, 2020

The devastating GDP numbers announced at the end of July—a decline of 9-and-a-half percent—are the worst in American history, according to Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers. The way the numbers are reported, that at an annualized rate...

News

Davenport calls for a “Movement of movements” to end police violence

Jul 30, 2020

Ford School faculty by courtesy Christian Davenport writes in Business Insider that curbing police violence will require a sentiment more radical than what occurred at the end of the Civil Rights movement in the '60's. At that time, he says, "there...

News

Some Detroit suburbs reckon with history as anti-Black ‘sundown towns’

Jul 20, 2020

An article in Bridge Detroit on July 9 looked at suburbanites engaging with the history and policies of their communities in the wake of Black Lives Matters demonstrations. Some of these suburbs were developed as anti-Black "sundown towns". Ford...

Among the houses in this residential neighborhood, a wall wall erected to segregate by race has been reclaimed and turned into a large community art project.

News

Making sense of the complex unemployment numbers

Jul 10, 2020

On July 2nd, the Labor Department reported that 4.8 million jobs had been added, and unemployment stood at 11% - still higher than it was at the peak of the Great Recession in 2008 — with 17.8 million Americans still out of work. Ford School...

News

"Planet Money Summer School " features Stevenson and Wolfers

Jul 7, 2020

Planet Money, the irreverent and informative NPR podcast, is convening a Summer School starting on July 8, “turning it's podcast feed into a classroom for the masses, for anyone who wants to see the world through the lens of an economist.” Ford...

News

Alemu argues that “Solidarity is not acknowledging your white privilege, but relinquishing it”

Jul 7, 2020

Ford School PhD candidate Matthew Alemu (MPP '09) says that while he appreciates support from white friends when racist incidents occur, something deeper needs to occur. In an opinion piece in the Detroit Free Press on July 7, he notes that...

News

Stevenson comments on lagging summer job creation lags, effect of expanded earned income tax credit

Jul 1, 2020

Ford School economics professor Betsey Stevenson was featured on NPR’s Marketplace, which noted that, “Summer has arrived; lots of summer jobs have not.” This year is going to be tough on people who work in travel, tourism and restaurants, which...

News

Sanders works to create inclusive spaces for students of color

Jun 26, 2020

Ford School lecturer and diversity, equity, and inclusion officer Stephanie Sanders offers lessons about creating inclusive spaces in an essay published in Higher Education Today. As part of a project run by the National Center for Institutional...

Michigan Journal of Public Affairs in solidarity with Black lives

Jun 17, 2020

The Michigan Journal of Public Affairs, a graduate student publication at the Ford School, has released a statement of solidarity with the Black community and the movements for Black lives. We share it, unedited and unabridged, below. Learn more...

Graphic with text "Michigan Journal of Public Affairs in Solidarity with Black lives"

Boom in demand for “anti-racist” books should lead to action - Lewis

Jun 15, 2020

Since the death of George Floyd and the nationwide flood of protest about racial inequity in policing, bookstore owners around the country have found a flood of interest in books addressing racism. An article entitled "Bookstore Owners Struggle...

Stevenson and Wolfers explain COVID-19 economic and financial turmoil

Jun 12, 2020

Last week’s surprising employment report, stock market recovery and loss, a statement from the Fed chair and a search for context marked the week ending June 12. Ford School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers were called upon by the...

Domestic Policy Corps, Policy for the People, Environmental Policy Association stand in solidarity with Black lives

Jun 10, 2020

Domestic Policy Corps, Policy for the People, and the Environmental Policy Association, three Ford School student organizations, have released statements of solidarity with the Black community and the movements for Black lives. We share them,...

Black background with white text: "Student organization statements: Domestic Policy Corps, Policy for the People, and Environmental Policy Assoc. in solidarity with Black lives."

News

Stephanie Sanders, DEI officer and lecturer, shares a statement on solidarity

Jun 9, 2020

Stephanie Sanders, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and a lecturer at the Ford School, sent the following letter to the Ford School community last night, Tuesday, June 9. Dear Ford School Community, George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery....

News

Students of Color in Public Policy and Women and Gender in Public Policy leaders stand in solidarity with Black lives

Jun 8, 2020

The Students of Color in Public Policy (SCPP) and Women and Gender in Public Policy (WGPP), two longstanding Ford School student organizations, have released statements of solidarity with the Black community and the movements for Black lives. We...

Black background with white text: "Student organization statements: Students of Color in Public Policy and Women and Gender in Public Policy in solidarity with Black lives"

Was the drop in unemployment predictable? It depends who you ask...

Jun 5, 2020

An article in Vox.com on June 5, reacting to the surprising drop in the unemplyment rate, quoted Ford School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers : "Betsey Stevenson, the former chief economist at the US Department of Labor and a...

Student Affairs Committee and International Policy Student Association stand in solidarity with Black lives

Jun 5, 2020

The Student Affairs Committee (SAC) and International Policy Student Association (IPSA), two longstanding Ford School student organizations, have released statements of solidarity with the Black community and the movements for Black lives. We share...

Graphic with text "Student Affairs Committee and International Policy Student Association in Solidarity with Black lives"

Stevenson says “pandemic could scar a generation of working mothers”

Jun 3, 2020

An article in The New York Times June 3, noted that as the pandemic upends work and home life, women have carried an outsized share of the burden, are more likely to lose a job and more likely to shoulder the load of closed schools and day care....

Wolfers says coronavirus-led economic recession reveals gaps in U.S. safety net

Jun 1, 2020

Against the backdrop of the severe U.S. economic downturn caused by the coronavirus, Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers told ABC News Australia May 31 that the country was ill-prepared to provide a safety net for its citizens. The...

Alumni spotlight

Using design and technology, Cézanne Charles (MPA ‘15) reimagines a more inclusive Detroit

Jun 1, 2020

Using racial justice and equity as her north star, Cézanne Charles (MPA '15) helps shape Detroit’s cultural sector and champions the integrative role it plays in civic action and social movements. Charles leads multiple projects that explore new...

Business can balance PPP loan forgiveness and worker benefits

May 29, 2020

Ford School public policy and economics professor Betsey Stevenson sees a way for business owners who got a forgivable federal loan to avoid the choice between getting a loan discharged or allowing workers to collect enhanced unemployment...

State & Hill

Spotlights – Spring 2020 State & Hill

May 22, 2020

All hands on deck Ford School faculty and research centers have been actively involved with the policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke Shaefer is advising the state on how to reduce the impact on low-income families. Michael Barr, Betsey...

State & Hill

Discourse: Faculty in the news from the Spring 2020 issue of State & Hill

May 22, 2020

“The government needs to make sure the hardest-hit families have enough income to keep food on their tables...in a rapidly unfolding crisis, the type of aid that’s offered may matter at least as much as the quantity.” Betsey Stevenson and Justin...

Ford School Policy Talk: Hope for economic recovery tied to health success

May 22, 2020

The U.S. and global economy will only recover when major improvements in healthcare and the ability to combat the coronavirus take hold. The crisis has exacerbated inequality along racial, ethnic and economic lines. This recession is unlike any...

Wolfers puts public health at the center of economic recovery

May 15, 2020

The current method for calculating Gross Domestic Product is missing “the immense value of the sacrifices being made by millions of people who have stayed at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers...

Parsing the unemployment statistics, Stevenson finds reason for optimism even amidst a higher-than-reported rate

May 15, 2020

The rate of unemployment was recently recorded as 14.7%. Ford School economist Betsey Stevenson, who was Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of Labor 2010-2011, says the real rate is actually higher. In a tweet quoted in an article in Forbes May...

Healthcare sector takes a hit amidst the broader economic downturn

May 1, 2020

The news released on April 30 that the U.S. economy had shrunk 4.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020 confirmed that the country is poised to experience a deep recession. The analyses of Ford School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers...

News

Ann Arbor may repurpose streets to accommodate pedestrian and cyclist social distancing

Apr 28, 2020

Since the implementation of the governor’s stay at home order, Ann Arbor’s vehicle traffic has declined markedly. Ann Arbor city council members may consider vehicle street closures in an effort to expand space available for pedestrians and cyclists...

Wolfers challenges U.S. business who seek immunity from coronavirus lawsuits

Apr 27, 2020

In a recent article published in Quartz, “U.S. businesses are seeking immunity from coronavirus lawsuits,” Ford School professor, Justin Wolfers, pushes back on calls by U.S. businesses for COVID-19 related immunity from liability. As some states...

More Americans are unemployed than records show, says Stevenson

Apr 15, 2020

More than 17 million Americans have applied for unemployment insurance in the wake of mandatory business closures protecting against COVID-19. Betsey Stevenson, professor at the Ford School, predicts that the number of unemployed Americans is...

In times of crisis, electricity usage data can estimate economic damage, says Wolfers

Apr 10, 2020

With economic activity changing faster than standard statistical measures can keep up, economists are looking at other indicators to take the economy’s pulse. Justin Wolfers, professor at the Ford School, analyzed electricity usage to understand the...