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.

Showing 91 - 120 of 655 results

News

Michigan local government officials report improved fiscal health after a year of COVID-19, but not to pre-pandemic levels

Dec 16, 2021

Michigan’s local governments report improvement on many fiscal health measures after a year of struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic, but for much of the state the situation has stayed the same or continues to decline, according to a new Michigan...

State & Hill

Partnerships in focus: Learning and research collaborations that create better public policy

Dec 13, 2021

By Rebecca Cohen (MPP ‘09) Two-directional learning helps small businesses and students thrive Lily Hamburger (MBA ’16) supports economic mobility for entrepreneurs as the senior director of the pandemic-born Detroit Means Business, a...

News

CLOSUP and Ivacko applauded for partnering with city of Flint

Dec 8, 2021

News outlets are applauding Tom Ivacko and the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy's announcement about a project with the city of Flint that will examine whether a new fiscal reporting mechanism can help create transparency in local fiscal...

News

University of Michigan and the City of Flint partner on new fiscal reporting pilot program for transparency, better governance

Dec 1, 2021

The water crisis in Flint and the bankruptcy in Detroit were separate events that had a common theme -- they had been caused in part by fiscal challenges decades in the making. Avoiding similar tragedies in the future could be tied to greater...

Photo of a large metal arch with a sign reading "Flint: Vehicle city" at a gateway to Flint, Michigan

News

Michigan local officials’ assessments of American democracy at the state and federal levels decline sharply

Nov 29, 2021

A survey of Michigan’s local government leaders shows a sharp degradation in trust in the functioning of democracy at the state and federal levels, echoing trends seen across the country. The Spring 2021 Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS),...

A composite image, comprising a photo of the US capitol dome, upside down at an angle, in front of a red textured background

News

U-M expert on redistricting: The road back and ahead

Nov 16, 2021

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) is nearing the end of its work to draft new maps in an effort to end partisan gerrymandering. The mission was straightforward—use an independent commission instead of the state...

A blue map of Michigan layered over a blue neighborhood map

In the Media

Ivacko on federal infrastructure dollars in Michigan

Nov 15, 2021 The Detroit News

“The federal (infrastructure) funding is probably a once-in-a-lifetime lifeline, and it certainly is going to move the needle. But Michiganders need to understand that we have a long-term challenge. This federal money will last for a while, it will...

News

Off the field, University of Michigan and Michigan State University work together on the big issues

Oct 28, 2021

When Michigan’s Independent Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (MICRC) held a public hearing recently in Grand Rapids, two students were assisting attendees with submitting citizen comments and suggestions for the Commission’s consideration. Working...

Publication

Michigan local government leaders report lingering impacts from COVID-19 pandemic, improvements overall from the start of the crisis

Oct 27, 2021

Local leaders from across the state have reported lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report, and worsening outlooks for how much longer some of those impacts will last. While the numbers of local communities reporting on...

Publication

Michigan local economies still struggling with the pandemic effects

Sep 29, 2021

Michigan's local economies are still struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but at a much lower rate than at the start of the crisis in spring 2020, according to a University of Michigan statewide survey of local government...

Two post-it notes on a business' front door, reading "Sorry we're closed" and "COVID-19"

News

Ivacko: Challenges abound as leaders assemble for Mackinac Policy Conference

Sep 20, 2021

Many of Michigan's business, political and academic movers and shakers are gathering this week for the annual Mackinac Policy Conference after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of last year's event. While the number of people...

News

Ford School research center websites get a fresh new look

Aug 27, 2021

Seven of the Ford School’s dynamic research centers have launched new websites. Building on the Ford School’s own modern web design and technical capabilities, the new websites convey the energy and innovation of each center. Participating research...

Teaser image with screencaps of research center website homepages cascaded artfully across the board, each increasing in scale

News

Most Michigan local leaders express confidence in safety, efficacy of COVID vaccines, MPPS shows

Aug 11, 2021

Most Michigan local government officials have been confident in the safety and efficacy of available COVID-19 vaccines, yet leaders' views on vaccine safety are highly correlated with partisanship, according to the spring 2021 wave of the Michigan...

News

Two-thirds of local leaders see Michigan moving in wrong direction, according to annual U-M survey

Jul 6, 2021

The combined crises of the past year have darkened the attitudes of local government leaders, according to the first results of the University of Michigan’s 2021 Michigan Public Policy Survey. Numerous challenges have dominated public policy and...

News

Chamberlin on lawmaker transparency and redistricting

Jun 13, 2021

John Chamberlin, Ford School professor emeritus of public policy and political science, says a recent controversy in Lansing calls out the need for increased transparency when it comes to lawmakers. A Michigan state representative is proposing a law...

State & Hill

Breaking down public trust

Jun 10, 2021

By Rebecca Cohen (MPP '09)Americans’ trust in government institutions to “do the right thing” has steadily eroded since the late 1960s,1 correlated for many analysts with events such as the Vietnam War, Watergate, the ’70s oil embargo, and President...

Illustration of a hand, extended for a handshake, crumbling.

In the Media

Chamberlin discusses Michigan redistricting

May 25, 2021 MLive

As the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission begins its work, Michigan citizens are being called upon to help with the process. John Chamberlin, professor emeritus of public policy and political science, explained how the new...

News

CLOSUP to help expand Michigan redistricting resources in partnership with MSU’s IPPSR

May 24, 2021

Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) and the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) are collaborating to educate and assist Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting...

News

Congratulations to Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi, both now associate professors, with tenure

May 21, 2021

Professors Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi have received promotions to associate professor, with tenure, at the Ford School. Their status was approved by the U-M Board of Regents at their meeting on May 20. "Natasha Pilkauskas is deepening...

Headshots of Kaitlin Raimi and Natasha Pilkauskas

In the Media

Hanson comments on risks of Line 5 pipeline

May 19, 2021 The Globe and Mail

For years, the Line 5 pipeline through the Straits of Mackinac has been a hot topic in Michigan politics. Jonathon Hanson, a Ford School lecturer, shed light on the potential consequences of continuing to allow the pipeline to exist. “You think...

In the Media

Schwarz weighs in on Michigan redistricting

May 9, 2021 The Blade

With the loss of a congressional district as a result of the most recent census, Michiganders have been left guessing what the new districts will look like. Most likely, districts will become more competitive for the upcoming midterm elections, but...

In the Media

Chamberlin talks about Michigan's transparent redistricting process and census impact

Apr 22, 2021 Detroit News

New 2020 Census data means the loss of a Michigan Congressional seat, and redrawing the district lines will happen through a new citizen-driven process. "The process this year is radically different than the past," said John Chamberlin. "The public...

In the Media

Chamberlin explains 'communities of interest' in Michigan redistricting process

Apr 20, 2021 Bridge Michigan

“The idea is to build districts that work for the citizens, and actually works for the representative,” Chamberlain said, adding that if a representative has a coherent district, it’s easier for them and their staff to actually serve their...

John R. Chamberlin: Making a life teaser image

In the Media

Michigan's share of stimulus resources poses a welcome challenge, according to Leiser

Apr 8, 2021 Bridge Michigan

As the state of Michigan could receive as much as $10 billion from the Biden administration stimulus package, officials are planning how to allocate the resources in the best way. “It’s hard to exaggerate how big of a deal it is,” Brideg Michigan...

News

The Conversation: Leiser backs Biden's plan to tax corporations for infrastructure improvements

Apr 2, 2021 The Conversation

In a recent opinion for The Conversation, tax policy expert Stephanie Leiser provides evidence to increase the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% to pay for President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan. This increase would still be below levels...

In the Media

Leiser emphasizes the need to consider property taxes when moving

Mar 29, 2021 The Washington Examiner

As Pennsylvania considers legislation to cut the state's property taxes, which are some of the highest in the country, Stephanie Leiser commented that people need to consider property taxes when moving: "Every family will have different preferences...

News

Ford School undergraduates continue to lead during the pandemic

Mar 15, 2021

By Jack Eichner (BA '21) This week marks one year since the University of Michigan’s campus shut down. Questions swirled as students had to adjust to virtual learning while simultaneously adapting to new living situations in a rapidly evolving...

Mariana Boully Perez, Matthew MacPhail, David Carpenter, and Walter Aguilar

In the Media

Leiser and Ivacko opinion: The new COVID relief bill can be a rebirth for Michigan communities

Mar 10, 2021 Bridge Michigan

In a Bridge Michigan op-ed, Leiser and Ivacko call for COVID relief to foster greater cooperation, trust in government built at the local level. "Across the country, nearly three quarters of U.S. adults say they have a "great deal" or a "fair...

News

Michigan's redistricting effort makes slow but steady progress, despite delayed data, other challenges - Chamberlin

Feb 25, 2021

John Chamberlin, Ford School professor emeritus of political science and public policy, describes himself as a "redistricting junkie." Not unexpectedly, he possesses a keen interest in and understanding of the efforts under way to develop Michigan's...

Publication

U-M survey finds early lack of awareness among local leaders with state’s new approach to redraw legislative districts

Feb 23, 2021

Michigan’s local government leaders reported mixed familiarity with the state’s new approach to redistricting, according to a 2020 survey whose results were released today by the the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) at the...

Michigan Congressional Map (113th Congress)