Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Departments and Research Centers

Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy

The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) conducts, supports and fosters applied academic research to inform local, state, and urban policy issues.

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Showing 31 - 60 of 655 results
News

Leiser and Shaefer comment on Detroit bankruptcy anniversary

Jul 18, 2023
As the city of Detroit marked the 10th anniversary of its declaration of bankruptcy, publications took stock of the progress the city has made. Bloomberg quoted the Center for Local, State and Urban Policy’s (CLOSUP) Stephanie Leiser, who leads...
Detroit photo
News

Ford School welcomes PPIA 2023 cohort

Jun 19, 2023
The 2023 Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute (JSI) has welcomed 23 students from 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This year’s cohort will spend seven weeks taking classes, participating in...
PPIA Welcome 2023
State & Hill

Quantum leap

May 3, 2023
When City of Flint CFO Rob Widigan looks at his required annual financial reporting to the state of Michigan, he sighs. His department needs to compile the accounts, which are saved as a PDF document, and separately copy certain numbers into at...
Photo of a large metal arch with a sign reading "Flint: Vehicle city" at a gateway to Flint, Michigan
In the Media

Horner analyzes use of social media by local governments

Apr 9, 2023 Daily Telegram
Debra Horner, The Daily Telegram: "Back in 2012, only about 18 percent of local officials told us their governments used social media (including 48 percent of jurisdictions with more than 30,000 residents). In 2021, that was up to 29 percent...
Photo of the upper half of the northwest corner of Weill Hall
News

Michigan environmental leaders analyze CLOSUP recycling report

Apr 9, 2023
The Center for Local, State and Urban Policy released a new report that polled local officials on issues related to recycling as part of the Michigan Local Recycling Policy Project. The Capital News Service gathered reactions from across the...
Recycling bins
In the Media

Leiser makes case for Financial Data Transparency Act

Mar 28, 2023 Accounting Today
Stephanie Leiser, Accounting Today: "There's an enormous amount of municipal government financial data locked up in PDF documents. Unlocking that data has the potential to radically improve transparency and dramatically enhance our ability to...
Headshot of Stephanie Leiser
In the Media

Ivacko reveals factors behind threats to local officials

Mar 24, 2023 Wisconsin Public Radio
Tom Ivacko, Wisconsin Public Radio: "There's been a very concerted, ongoing effort with very strong media behind it to convince people that there are enemies in the public sector, undercutting their own democracy and working against the interests of...
Tom Ivacko
In the Media

CLOSUP partnership with XBRL US, City of Flint highlighted

Mar 23, 2023 The Bond Buyer
CLOSUP, The Bond Buyer: "Flint is also at the forefront of the development of XBRL for financial reporting. Flint participated in a pilot project with the University of Michigan's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the school's Ford School...
Weill Hall entrance with "Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy" etched into the glass
In the Media

Ivacko reflects on 2022, and what it means for future elections

Jan 5, 2023 Hour Detroit
Tom Ivacko, Hour Detroit: Tom Ivacko, executive director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the University of Michigan, nailed it: “The 2022 election outcomes will be the hot topic — including what they mean for Trump and his hold...
Tom Ivacko
In the Media

Leiser applauds Financial Data Transparency Act

Dec 26, 2022 XBRL US
Stephanie Leiser, XBRL US: "Making government financial data open and accessible to all is the right thing to do, and it is long overdue. Financial transparency is absolutely essential to maintaining trust between governments and the public. Equally...
Headshot of Stephanie Leiser
Publication

New law on data transparency will improve governance - Leiser

Dec 20, 2022
Increasing transparency in how local government works got a boost when the U.S. Congress passed the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA) on December 15, 2022. The act requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to adopt data standards related...
U.S. capitol
State & Hill

Think local: CLOSUP checks in with local government officials

Dec 19, 2022
Democracy in the United States and across the globe has been in decline for years, as documented with rigorous tracking methodologies. Freedom House has tracked declines in civil liberties and political rights in the U.S., for example. And the...
Photo of a stone building with a large "City Hall" sign
In the Media

CLOSUP report highlighted

Dec 14, 2022 American City & County
American City & County: Politically driven incidents over the last few years at all levels of government have fundamentally shaken public perception about the health of America’s democracy. Administrators have likewise been impacted. A new study...
Michigan capitol
News

An assessment of Michigan's redistricting process

Dec 5, 2022
In the aftermath of the first election that used newly-drawn districts in Michigan, created by an independent citizen’s commission, the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy and the Program in Practical Policy Engagement hosted a Policy Talk to...
A roll of I Voted stickers
In the Media

CLOSUP redistricting event featured in Detroit Free Press

Dec 5, 2022 Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press: "'I think Michigan is going to play a very important poster child role moving forward,' said Moon Duchin, a mathematician at Tufts University who helped Michigan's commission review mapping input during the redistricting...
Photo of the upper half of the northwest corner of Weill Hall