Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy

CLOSUP's Michigan Public Policy Survey findings about financial struggles of local governments appear in news outlets

Oct 24, 2011

Findings from a new Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) administered by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) have been published in a number of news sources.The poll found that local governments in Michigan are having a tough time...

CLOSUP poll: Most local leaders in Michigan report ongoing financial woes

Oct 19, 2011

Nearly half of Michigan's local governments say they are somewhat or significantly less able to meet their financial needs in 2011, though some negative trends eased this year, a new University of Michigan survey reports.Although 48 percent of the...

Brian Jacob receives U-M Faculty Recognition Award

Oct 3, 2011

Faculty Recognition AwardsFaculty Recognition Awards are intended for faculty early in their careers who have demonstrated substantive contributions to the university through achievements in scholarly research and/or creative endeavors; excellence...

CLOSUP opinion poll on views of public sector unions appears in several news sources

Aug 31, 2011

The results of a Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) poll of local government leaders appeared in a variety of Michigan news outlets, including two articles from the Detroit Free Press (a staff report and a report from the Associated...

CLOSUP report: majority of Michigan's local leaders say employee unions hurt fiscal health of their localities

Aug 29, 2011

More than half of the local government leaders surveyed in Michigan jurisdictions that have public employee unions say those unions have had a negative impact on their jurisdictions' fiscal health, a University of Michigan survey reports.Despite the...

CLOSUP poll: Half of Michigan's local officials say state on the wrong track

Aug 4, 2011

Half of the local government officials surveyed in Michigan say the state is generally on the wrong track, while 32 percent think the state is going the right way, a new University of Michigan poll says.Democratic officials were most likely to be...

Most communities in Michigan are working with others to increase efficiency, reduce costs

Mar 23, 2011

A new University of Michigan survey found that most communities statewide are already working together to increase efficiency and decrease costs.This cooperation is a process through which two or more units of government work together to provide...

CLOSUP Michigan Public Policy Survey: Local officials say benefits to public employees too generous, but not their pay

Feb 8, 2011

Many of Michigan's local government leaders think fringe benefits given to their jurisdictions' employees are too generous, but they are not overpaid, a new University of Michigan study finds.In addition, many of these leaders also believe employees...

State & Hill

Bullish on Michigan

Dec 6, 2010

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...

CLOSUP report: State-local economic development could be improved by cultivating existing businesses

Nov 12, 2010

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...

CLOSUP report: Local jurisdictions, particularly Michigan's largest, actively encourage census participation

Aug 5, 2010

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...

CLOSUP report: Officials say federal stimulus package ineffective for local economies

May 25, 2010

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...

State & Hill

Recession Aftershocks Predicted for Michigan Cities and Towns

Apr 22, 2010

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...

CLOSUP publishes Michigan Public Policy Survey results

Apr 13, 2010

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....

CLOSUP statewide survey: Local government leaders give low marks to state officials

Mar 18, 2010

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...

Brian Jacob op-ed in Detroit News, "Mend, don’t end 'No Child' reforms"

Jan 7, 2010

In nearly eight years, the federal No Child Left Behind school reforms have become perhaps the most controversial yet far-reaching educational policies of the past four decades. Opponents are turning their fire on No Child now that it is up for...

Recent CLOSUP survey of local government leaders attracts local and regional media

Nov 2, 2009

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...

CLOSUP statewide survey: Local governments to cut services, want financing for economic development

Oct 22, 2009

Many local governments across Michigan expect to cut service levels in the next year, according to a new survey by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, a research center at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public...

CLOSUP receives Kellogg grant to analyze priorities, goals among Michigan's local government officials

Jun 18, 2009

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...

News

Brian Jacob earns prestigious David N. Kershaw Award and Prize

Oct 7, 2008

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...

University of Michigan Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium

MLK Day lecture - Montgomery, AL, Mayor Steven Reed

Jan 16, 2024, 4:30 pm EST

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium (Room 1120)

The Ford School will welcome Montgomery, AL, Mayor Steven Reed to Weill Hall for an event on Tuesday, Jan. 16, in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

CLOSUP Lecture Series

Rural Resilience: Stories of Hope and Innovation

Nov 15, 2023, 6:00-7:00 pm EST

Weill Hall, Betty Ford Classroom 1110

Join us for an intimate conversation between two leading voices for rural prosperity as they share experiences visiting rural communities across the country, and highlight inspiring stories from within the state of Michigan.

CLOSUP Lecture Series

Mayors Forum

Nov 13, 2023, 6:00-7:00 pm EST

Art & Architecture Building Auditorium (Room 2104)

Join this virtual mayors panel via livestream or in person at the Watch Party hosted at the University of Michigan's Taubman College. This annual event brings together mayors from cities across the states of the Big Ten in a conversation around timely topics of national importance that manifest at the municipal level.

Watch live from this page

CLOSUP Lecture Series

GovFin 2023: Empowering Governments, Modernizing Reporting

Nov 9, 2023, 8:45 am-6:00 pm EST

1801 K Street NW Washington DC

Check out the GovFin 2023 Conference in Washington DC on Empowering Governments, Modernizing Reporting on November 9, 2023. https://xbrl.us/events/govfin23/

CLOSUP Lecture Series

Webinar on Government Reporting & the FDTA: Florida, Michigan, Utah

Sep 18, 2023, 3:00-4:00 pm EDT

Please register for this virtual event to receive the viewing link!

CLOSUP invites you to join our research partners, XBRL/US in their upcoming free webinar on Government Reporting and the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA): Florida, Michigan, Utah. Our CLOSUP and Ford School colleague, Stephanie Leiser will be presenting. REGISTER NOW at: https://xbrl.us/events/230918/

Michigan Public Budgeting and Finance Planning (PubPol715) guest speaker Robert Widigan

Apr 10, 2023, 2:30-4:00 pm EDT

Weill Hall, Betty Ford Auditorium (1110)

Michigan Public Budgeting and Finance Planning class (PubPol 715) invites you to join them for a conversation with guest speaker Robert Widigan, former CFO for the City of Flint and incoming Chief Deputy CFO of Wayne County.

Women Leading Local Government: An interactive seminar presented by the Michigan Municipal League’s 16/50 Project

Mar 27, 2023, 11:30 am-12:50 pm EDT

Women make up over 50% of the state’s population, but just 16% of Michigan’s local chief administrative officers. The Michigan Municipal League’s 16/50 Project is transforming this leadership gap – getting more women seated in the municipal top spot in Michigan communities.

CLOSUP Lecture Series

PubPol 715 guest speaker Janani Ramachandran Yates on public budgeting and finance planning

Feb 8, 2023, 2:30-3:50 pm EST

Weill Hall, Betty Ford Classroom (1110)

The Ford School’s Michigan Public Budgeting and Finance Planning class invites Ford students to join them for a conversation with guest speaker Janani Ramachandran Yates, Deputy Budget Director of the City of Detroit (and Ford School alum).

Government financial reporting - Data standards and the financial data transparency act

Jan 24, 2023, 3:00-4:00 pm EST

Join XBRL US for a session to explore government data standards, find out how governments can create their own machine-readable financial statements, and discover what impact this legislation could have on government entities. Most importantly, discover how machine-readable data standards can benefit state and local government entities by reducing costs and increasing access to time-sensitive information for policy making.

Conversations Across Differences

Restoring confidence in our democracy

Jan 12, 2023, 4:00-5:30 pm EST

Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium (1120)

Join us for a conversation hosted at the Ford School by The Carter Center and the Gerald R. Ford Foundation that tackles how to buttress voter confidence in our democracy. Former Michigan U.S. Representatives Andy Levin (D-MI) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Amb (ret) Susan D. Page, Michigan Law and Ford School professor from practice and Carter Center trustee, will explore the bipartisan challenge of restoring faith in our democratic systems and highlight ways individuals can be part of the solution as we work together to uphold the standards of our democracy.

Photos of former U.S. Representatives Peter Meijer (R-MI) and Andy Levin (D-MI)