Bridge Michigan

In the Media

Rabe argues a Trump presidency could reverse IRA funds for Michigan

Oct 14, 2024 Bridge Michigan

The Inflation Reduction Act, a climate spending law, granted Michigan billions towards green efforts in the state. Ford School's Barry Rabe has raised concerns regarding statements from presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, and his...

In the Media

With Michigan school bond proposals on the ballot, Jacob stresses funding challenges within districts

Oct 7, 2024 Bridge Michigan

Nearly 1 in 10 Michigan school districts have bond proposals on the ballot in the upcoming November elections. Raising awareness of the lack of funding for Michigan schools, the Ford School's Brian Jacob stated, "There is no state funding for school...

News

Jacob and Stange: Getting free college right

Feb 9, 2024

Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposed making the first two years of community college free in Michigan in her 2024 State of the State AddressIn an opinion published in Bridge Michigan, Brian Jacob and Kevin Strange applaud Governor Whitmer for her...

Headshots of Brian Jacob and Kevin Stange

News

Challenges continue for state-local relations, according to Michigan local government leaders

Nov 10, 2023

Over half of Michigan local officials currently rate their jurisdiction’s overall relationship with the State government as just fair or even poor, while 34% of local officials say it is either good or excellent. It is an important relationship...

In the Media

AI will 'turbocharge' inequalities in health care - Parthasarathy

Mar 16, 2023 Bridge Michigan

Shobita Parthasarathy, Bridge Michigan: "Health care systems don't even know what data they're missing. That (AI) gets integrated into medical care as a mechanism for achieving efficiency. But they do that without realizing that it's going to...

Professor Shobita Parthasarathy leads a discussion in the Betty Ford Classroom

In the Media

Rabe discusses climate policy funding in Michigan

Jan 2, 2023 Bridge Michigan

Barry Rabe, Bridge Michigan: While policy changes tend to face long and uncertain paths to passage in Lansing, Democrats could advance their environmental agenda by spending that money strategically, said Barry Rabe, a University of Michigan...

In the Media

Bednar analyzes Michigan Democrats' agenda

Nov 17, 2022 Bridge Michigan

Jenna Bednar, Bridge Michigan: "Our governor's a very pragmatic leader, one who's going to carve out a positive forward-looking but centrist agenda. This isn’t a time for Democrats to say, ‘Oh, it's our turn, and we're going to move (toward) some...

In the Media

Rabe discusses role of environment in gubernatorial race

Oct 25, 2022 Bridge Michigan

Barry Rabe, Bridge Michigan: “I wouldn’t say that the environment and climate are irrelevant. But they're probably not as significant in an election where the candidates' positions are polar opposites on some of the big...

In the Media

Stange comments on decreased enrollment rates

Mar 14, 2022 Bridge Michigan

Public school districts saw a drop in enrollment during the pandemic, with parents moving their students to private schools with COVID-19 rules parents were happier with. Enrollment rates are staying steady, a sign that those parents have decided to...

In the Media

Udow-Phillips weighs in on Beaumont-Spectrum merger

Feb 1, 2022 Bridge Michigan

Following the merger of Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health, patients are wondering if their costs will rise. Marianne Udow-Phillips, lecturer in public policy, discussed the merger. “We certainly know what they've said publicly — that from a...

News

Rabe reflects on progress at COP26 and Line 5 in Michigan

Nov 19, 2021

Following the conclusion of COP26, Barry Rabe reflected on the outcomes of the summit in Glasgow. “This is the 26th time that this conference of parties and processes has worked. Each time there is lots of drama, high expectations, and usually in...

News

Stevenson discusses labor market recovery

Nov 17, 2021

Betsy Stevenson offered insights on the labor market and the road to post-pandemic recovery. Talking about cash assistance programs during the pandemic with Slate, Stevenson said, “We made people better off by giving them money, and I know...

Photo of Betsey Stevenson leading a class

In the Media

Hall breaks down gubernatorial election controversy

Aug 1, 2021 Bridge Michigan

Amidst claims that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is using a campaign finance loophole illegally to collect donations for the next gubernatorial election, Richard Hall, professor of public policy and political science, says that Whitmer needs to be careful....

News

Research meets journalism in new collaboration with Bridge Detroit

Jul 16, 2021

Kalena Thomhave (MPP ‘21) and Eli Gold (MPP/MS ‘21) spent much of last year working on research relevant to their academic interests—she on access to TANF cash benefits and he on utility affordability—as would be expected of any final-year MPP...

Headshots of Kelena Thomhave and Eli Gold

In the Media

MPP alums Baydoun and Abazeed see racial disparity in Dearborn flood damage

Jul 12, 2021 Bridge Michigan

Surveying the damage from flooding in Dearborn in late June, Ford School MPP alums Bilal Baydoun (MPP '17) and Ali Abazeed (MPP '17) write for Bridge Michigan that they saw racial disparity in the effects of the calamity. They write, "While Arab...

In the Media

Erb-Downward analyzes trend between homeless students and school discipline

Jun 15, 2021 Bridge Michigan

According to U-M Poverty Solutions, homeless students face more disciplinary action at school than their housed counterparts. Jennifer Erb-Downward, senior research associate at Povery Solutions, explained the effects school discipline can have on...

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...

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...

In the Media

Cooney and Shaefer: Pandemic shows government matters

Apr 4, 2021 Bridge Michigan

Patrick Cooney and Luke Shaefer write an opinion for Bridge Michigan. "While a lot of people are hurting right now, we have also found the data tell a pretty simple story: when government acts to buffer families by stabilizing their finances,...

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...

In the Media

Late census data makes redistricting process complex, says Ivacko

Feb 18, 2021 Bridge Michigan

Commenting on the announcement that census data will be delivered up to six months late, Ivacko told Bridge Michigan, “The commission’s plate is already extra full because this is their first time. They’re building the plane as they're flying it,...

News

Misinformation and false allegations drivers in political violence, according to Ali

Jan 7, 2021

Ford School Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence Javed Ali said the political violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 followed a tumultuous and politically-polarizing year in Michigan. He told Bridge the chaos was driven in many ways by the...

In the Media

Granholm appointment an embrace of green-economy advocate, says Rabe

Dec 16, 2020 Bridge Michigan

Rabe and other political and industry experts told Bridge Michigan that Granholm’s appointment is both a strategic nod to Rust Belt states whose industries will have to shift dramatically to achieve Biden’s climate agenda, and an embrace of an early...

In the Media

Water concerns resonate with Michigan voters, but federal support unlikely, says Ivacko

Nov 18, 2020 Bridge Michigan

“It’s such an immediate threat,” Ivacko said. “Everybody can easily imagine that they’ll wake up the next day and find out that their water is poisoned.... [but] we should not be looking to Washington to solve our problems in Michigan anytime...

In the Media

Access to clean water essential to protecting health, stopping spread of COVID-19, says Udow-Phillips

Nov 7, 2020 Bridge Michigan

"For those who cannot afford their water bills, shutoffs not only endanger their lives, but the lives of others they come in contact with. Clean and available water is essential to help stop the spread of COVID-19," said Udow-Phillips in her guest...

In the Media

Ivacko on shifting political landscape in northern Michigan

Oct 29, 2020 Bridge Michigan

Speaking about a recent racial incident in the Leelanau Peninsula to Bridge Michigan, Tom Ivacko said that the growth of Traverse City and the area’s influx of vacationers and retirees are shifting local politics. “If this pandemic pushes that even...

News

Shaefer highlights success of Michigan’s response to COVID’s economic crisis

Oct 9, 2020

“Sometimes, when we’re not looking, government does the remarkable.” That’s the assessment of Ford School professor H. Luke Shaefer, director of Poverty Solutions, on the effectiveness of Michigan’s response to the economic crisis created by...

Luke Shaefer delivers a talk at the Ford School

In the Media

Young voters expected to close participation gap with older voters, says Goldenberg

Sep 28, 2020 Bridge Michigan

“While it’s true that [young people] still lagged the voting rates of older voters in 2018, they closed the gap some, and I expect that they’re going to close the gap even more this time,” said Goldenberg. Read the full Bridge Michigan article...

Election issues

Election 2024 and U.S. climate policy

Sep 19, 2024, 5:00 pm EDT

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)

Climate policy is one of the key issues being discussed in the 2024 election cycle. This event will examine the larger issues and the specific effects of climate policy on the state of Michigan, as well as examining the issue through the lens of climate justice.

Watch live from this page