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 271 - 300 of 655 results

Global warming skeptics cite personal weather observations as the key reason for their views

Jul 8, 2015

The number of Americans who believe there is evidence of global warming rose to 63 percent after a memorable winter that included record cold and snow in the Northeast and historic warmth and drought in the West, according to a University of...

News

Internship field report, Sandy Mervak from the National Conference of State Legislatures

Jul 7, 2015

That old trope about states serving as "laboratories of democracy" has become much more real for me this summer. I am working as a research intern in the energy program at the National Conference of State Legislatures—a national, bipartisan NGO that...

'Complete Streets' policies more popular in Michigan's urban areas

Jun 18, 2015

Complete Streets, policies that encourage local governments to take all users—pedestrians, cyclists, public transit users and drivers—into account when designing and constructing roads, have a good deal of support among Michigan local officials, but...

Rabe cited in coverage of new EPA report on fracking

Jun 8, 2015

Barry Rabe, a Ford School professor and director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), was recently cited by both the Financial Times and the U.S. News & World Report in coverage surrounding the last week's release of findings...

Most Americans support renewable energy standards

Jun 3, 2015

Despite recent attempts in many state legislatures to repeal or weaken renewable energy requirements, a University of Michigan poll finds that a majority of Americans—of every race, income and education level, and religious and political...

Local leaders give high marks to road commissions

May 29, 2015

By Greta Guest, Michigan NewsMost local government leaders have good things to say about their road commissions that maintain county primary and township local roads upon which so many Michigan residents rely.The Michigan Public Policy Survey at the...

News

Barry Rabe talks to Inside Energy as North Dakota seeks to lower oil severance taxes

May 4, 2015

Barry Rabe, who was traveling through North Dakota for ongoing research on state energy taxes in the shale era, was interviewed by Emily Guerin for “Inside Energy: North Dakota oil taxes.” The story, which aired on Prairie Public Radio on May 4,...

State & Hill

The Last Word with CLOSUP director Barry Rabe on carbon pricing, frackademics, and more

May 1, 2015

Republicans support a carbon tax? Yes they do. Barry Rabe, director of the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, explains. S&H: You'll spend your sabbatical year working on a book about carbon pricing. Why that...

Few local leaders satisfied with public transit options

Apr 29, 2015

By Greta Guest, Michigan NewsA minority of Michigan's local leaders say they're satisfied with public transit options in their communities, but a lack of funding and other issues present roadblocks to improvements, a University of Michigan survey...

WGPP hosts five powerhouse female policymakers for discussion on women in elected office

Apr 7, 2015

Women and Gender in Public Policy (WGPP – pronounced “whip”), a student organization at the Ford School, recently hosted five of Michigan’s leading female policymakers for a discussion on women in elected office. The April 2nd event was covered by...

Pictured (L-R): U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-12), former Michigan Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing), Chairwoman of the U-M Board of Regents Kathy White (D-Ann Arbor); State Representative Gretchen Driskell (D-Saline), and State Representative Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit)

Ford School students host annual US-Canada conference

Mar 31, 2015

The 6th annual Ford+SPPG Conference took place earlier this month at Joan and Sanford Weill Hall in Ann Arbor. The event brings together MPP candidates from the Ford School and the University of Toronto’s School of Public Policy and Governance...

CLOSUP’s Ivacko talks MPPS and ethics with Michigan Radio’s Stateside

Mar 23, 2015

The latest Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) reveals how local leaders feel about the need for ethics reform in the Great Lakes State. Tom Ivacko (MPA '93), program manager of the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP),...

News

CLOSUP survey findings on state of Michigan roads cited in AP, Free Press stories

Feb 24, 2015

A recent CLOSUP report presenting the opinions of Michigan local government leaders on the state of roads was cited by the Associated Press, Detroit Free Press, and other media outlets. Most of the media coverage focused on the fact that while 79...

Major funding increase needed to fix roads, local leaders say

Feb 23, 2015

By Greta GuestComplaining about bad roads in Michigan is about as ubiquitous as grousing about the weather.How bad are the roads? The Ford School's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy surveyed top elected and appointed officials in the state's...

Ford Case Competition winners present to East Lansing City Council

Feb 20, 2015

At the East Lansing City Council’s February 17 meeting, five first year Ford School masters students, winners of the inaugural Ford Case Competition, presented to the council their proposal to resolve the city’s downtown parking concerns. The city,...

News

Michigan Daily cites CLOSUP survey findings in discussion of Clean Power Act

Jan 29, 2015

Findings from a CLOSUP public opinion survey served as the basis for a Michigan Daily story published yesterday that discussed the implications of the Clean Power Plan and its potential impact on Michigan. In “Survey finds support for federal...

CLOSUP survey results on local government pay, benefits highlighted by AP

Jan 28, 2015

CLOSUP’s recent report presenting the findings of its latest Michigan Public Policy Survey received coverage by the Associated Press (AP), among other national and local media outlets.The report, “Michigan local government leaders’ views on employee...

Informing local leaders about fiscal health and economic development image

More Michigan local governments report boosting pay, CLOSUP survey says

Jan 27, 2015

Five years after the depths of the recession, more local governments in Michigan say they've boosted employee pay while subtracting in other places such as benefits, according to a recently released report by the Center for Local, State, and Urban...

News

Barry Rabe and recent CLOSUP survey cited in Christian Science Monitor

Jan 24, 2015

2015 is shaping up to be a decisive year for U.S. energy and climate policy, according to a recent Christian Science Monitor article, “What are Republicans going to do about climate change.” While the 2016 presidential election is still nearly two...

Rabe in Christian Science Monitor on New York's decision to ban fracking

Dec 18, 2014

“To frack, or not to frack? That was the question facing New York,” writes Jared Gilmour, staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor, in the January 17 article, “Is New York Governor’s ban on fracking grounded in science?” The article...

Rabe discusses national pushback on renewable energy laws with HuffPo

Dec 10, 2014

In the near future, the Michigan legislature could redefine ‘renewable energy.’ Barry Rabe discusses the potential ramifications with Kate Abbey-Lambertz of the Huffington Post. In “Michigan May Redefine Fuel From Burning Tires As Renewable...

News

Detroit News covers CLOSUP privatization survey

Nov 24, 2014

Results from a recent survey released by the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) served as the basis for a Detroit News editorial advocating that municipalities continue to turn to privatization and intergovernmental...

News

For better or worse, Michigan's fiscal health post-recession

Oct 2, 2014

For the first time in six years, more Michigan communities report that they are better able to meet their fiscal needs this year than those who say they are less able to do...

News

Forthcoming CLOSUP oil, gas tax study highlighted in U.S. News & World Report

Sep 15, 2014

“States are charging less and less to allow oil and gas companies to drill more and more,” writes Alan Neuhauser in the September 9, U.S. News & World Report article, “As oil and gas boom, energy taxes fall.” The piece refers to a forthcoming report...

News

Proximity to Great Lakes a key factor in local officials' views

Sep 4, 2014

By Greta Guest ANN ARBOR—Nearly all of Michigan's local leaders see the Great Lakes as a valuable economic resource for the state, but some don't see it that way for their own jurisdictions, according to a survey by the University of Michigan's...

Welcome, and welcome back, to the Ford School

Sep 1, 2014

Members of the Ford School community—welcome, and welcome back! Summer tends to send us all around the globe—for family vacations, for research projects, for service engagements, for internships and jobs—but I love this time of year, when we...

Welcome, and welcome back, to the Ford School image

News

Rabe cited in Forbes on EPA greenhouse gas rules

Jun 3, 2014

Ford School Professor Barry Rabe was cited in Howard Gleckman's June 2 Forbes article "Could EPA's New Greenhouse Gas Rule Open the Door to a New State-based Gas Tax?" "The proposed EPA rules, which Brookings senior fellow Barry Rabe describes as...

News

CLOSUP hosts Ann Arbor mayoral candidates

Apr 18, 2014

The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) hosted the four declared candidates in Ann Arbor's mayoral race on Wednesday, April 16. The forum focused on the future of public transportation and prospects for economic development of Ann...

CLOSUP hosts Ann Arbor mayoral candidates image

CLOSUP illuminates local leaders' perceptions of tax-exempt properties

Apr 10, 2014

"It's no overstatement to say that property tax revenues are really the lifeblood of local government. So what do local leaders think about the tax-exempt properties within their borders—the ones that take up municipal services, but are exempt from...

Informing local leaders about fiscal health and economic development

Mar 28, 2014

Five years ago, the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy launched an ongoing survey of the chief elected and appointed officials in every one of Michigan's 1,856 counties, cities, townships and villages, large and small. Among the survey's goals?...