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.

Showing 1 - 30 of 653 results
Emeritus faculty

John R. Chamberlin

Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Political Science
Chamberlin taught Statistics, Applied Regression, Values and Ethics, and Nonprofit Policy and Management at the Ford School. His research interests include ethics and public policy, professional ethics, and election methods.
Research faculty

Mara Ostfeld

Research Director, Center for Racial Justice; Associate Research Scientist, Ford School; Faculty Associate, Center for Political Studies; Faculty Associate, Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy
Dr. Mara Cecilia Ostfeld is the research director at the Center for Racial Justice, and an associate research scientist in the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. In addition, Mara is a faculty lead at the Detroit Metro Area…
Core faculty

Elisabeth R. Gerber

Jack L. Walker, Jr. Collegiate Professor of Public Policy
Gerber’s research focuses on regionalism and intergovernmental cooperation, sustainable development, urban climate adaptation, transportation policy, community and economic development, local fiscal capacity, and local political accountability.
Core faculty

Stephanie Leiser

Lecturer in Public Policy
Stephanie Leiser leads the Michigan Local Government Fiscal Health Project at the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP).
Core faculty

Barry Rabe

J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy
Rabe examines the political feasibility and durability of environmental and energy policy, with a particular emphasis on efforts to address climate change in the U.S. and other federal systems. His most recent books examine the politics of carbon pricing and the limitations of unilateral executive branch policy actions. Current research explores the politics of intensive but short-lived greenhouse gases, such as methane and HFCs. Recent policy engagement includes work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, the Department of Commerce, and the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
Core faculty

Kaitlin T. Raimi

Associate Professor of Public Policy; Faculty Associate in Psychology; Faculty Associate in Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research
Raimi is a social psychologist focused on climate change beliefs and policy support. She studies how people compare themselves to others, how adopting one pro-environmental behavior affects later action, and how communication affects understanding and support for climate policy and technology.
Staff

Natalie B. Fitzpatrick

Research Area Specialist
Natalie Fitzpatrick joined CLOSUP in June 2015 as a research area specialist. She is responsible for data operations and management for the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) and the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment (NSEE). She…
Staff

Debra Horner

Project Manager
Debra Horner is on staff with the Ford School's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) where she is a project manager on the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS) program. She has been a regular lecturer in U-M's Political Science…
Publication

More local officials see relevance of electric vehicle planning

May 2, 2024
Local officials across Michigan increasingly view electric vehicle infrastructure planning as relevant for their governments, though many cite too few public charging stations and costs associated with adding them as barriers to expansion.The...
News

Ford school faculty available to weigh in on 2024 elections

Jan 28, 2024
The University of Michigan has published an experts guide to the 2024 elections. Ford School faculty are available to offer insights on relevant issues impacting the elections, including the following:  Economics Betsey Stevenson, professor of...
In the Media

Leiser on the far-right shift in the Ottawa County government

Oct 5, 2023 MLive
“It’s almost as if instead of leading with, ‘OK, what’s our job in this jurisdiction in this county? What services do we provide?’ – and then sort of taking the cues from citizens and policy from there – it’s like a flipped script,” said Stephanie...
In the Media

Ivacko on trust in local government

Sep 6, 2023 Democrat & Chronicle
Tom Ivacko, Democrat & Chronicle: Political scandals have long contributed to declining trust in all levels of government, stretching back to the days of Watergate, said Tom Ivacko, who heads the Center for Local, State and Urban Policy at the...
News

PPIA students reflect on their summer of study and social life 

Aug 2, 2023
What are the dynamics of inequity in labor markets? How do we determine appropriate categories for people in a multicultural society?  How is the U.S. approach to ethnicity and nationality different from what they are doing in Europe?  These were...
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...