J. Ira and Nicki Harris Professor of Social Sciences
Shipan teaches and conducts research on political institutions and policy. Current projects include whether elections lead politicians to avoid passing good policies and whether institutions constrain policymaking in autocracies. His most recent book is Why Bad Policies Spread (and Good Ones Don’t).
Charles Shipan, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Professor of Social Sciences, received the 2025 American Political Science Association (APSA) Public Policy Section's Excellence in Mentoring Award. The award recognizes a senior scholar who advances “the c...
Kamissa Camara chaired the Bipartisan Senior Study Group for the Sahel at the U.S. Institute of Peace. The study group’s comprehensive report critically assesses opportunities for peace, security, and economic development in the Sahel. Charlotte Cava...
Ford School professor Charles R. Shipan was awarded the inaugural James Garand Outstanding Mentor Award. This award was presented on behalf of the Southern Political Science Association (SPSA) to commend two political scientists who have demonstrated...
Ford School graduate Michael Lerner (PhD ‘21) was awarded the American Political Science Association’s 2023 Harold D. Lasswell Award for his dissertation, "Green Catalysts? The Impact of Transnational Advocacy on Environmental Policy Leadership.“
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Arun Agrawal was selected as co-chair on the Intergovernmental Transformative Change Assessment, sponsored by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Javed Ali provided his expertise on national security to numerous...
Charles Shipan and co-author Pamela Clouser McCann write in an Washington Post Monkey Cage analysis that the Supreme Court's decision to hear a case challenging EPA authority "could undermine Congress’s constitutional authority to delegate power to f...
President Biden's recent COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate for private businesses has received pushback, but Charles Shipan says some small businesses are welcoming the move.
"The reality is there are a number of businesses that are wanting th...
In his new book, Why Bad Policies Spread (And Good Ones Don’t), Charles R. Shipan, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Michigan, and co-author Craig Volden, professor of public policy and politics at the Univ...
The Michigan Republican Party is struggling to define itself in the shadow of former President Donald Trump. Some members want to cling to Trump and his rhetoric, while others are trying to distance themselves. Charles Shipan, the J. Ira and Nicki Ha...
“Although Biden’s lead over Trump is similar to Clinton’s lead at this same point, Biden’s lead has been far steadier” said Shipan. “Biden’s lead has been consistently large. Second, pollsters learn from their mistakes. In 2016, they underrepresented...
To contain the spread of COVID-19, state and local governments are looking to their neighbors, often replicating and applying their policies to their own jurisdiction. It started with all 50 states calling for a state of emergency within days of each...
Charles Shipan was awarded the Herbert Simon Award by the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) at the MPSA’s 2018 conference in Chicago last weekend. According to the MPSA, the career achievement award recognizes a scholar who has made a sign...
An article by Professor Charles Shipan and doctoral alumna Rachel Potter (PhD '14), "Agency rulemaking in a separation of powers system," was published in the Journal of Public Policy (Cambridge University Press) in November. AbstractRulemaking gives...
Tamar Mitts and Robert Axelrod participated in a trilateral workshop on the roots and trajectories of violent extremism. Mitts spoke about the radicalization of Islamic State supporters on social media; Axelrod about the strengths and weaknesses of a...
Charles Shipan will be recognized with the Deil S. Wright (MPA ‘54) award from the American Political Science Association this September. The award, which is given to the best paper in the field of federalism and intergovernmental relations, will hon...
Charles Shipan (with Kenneth W. Moffett and Forrest Maltzman) has penned a piece for The Washington Post Monkey Cage, “The Supreme Court is taking far fewer cases than usual. Here’s why.” In it, Shipan and colleagues describe their joint research (wi...
The American Political Science Association has recognized two Ford School doctoral alumnae—Rachel A. Potter (PhD ‘14) and Molly E. Reynolds (PhD ‘15)—with its prestigious ‘best dissertation’ awards. Potter, who earned her PhD in political science and...
It’s an election year, so perhaps it’s not so surprising that Republicans and Democrats are bickering vehemently over whether or not President Obama, who will soon leave office, should have the right to appoint Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s ...
Across the nation, cities have been pioneers in restricting restaurant and workplace smoking, and making it harder for children to acquire cigarettes. As a political scientist, Professor Chuck Shipan’s work seeks to understand how these policies spre...
When we thoughtfully apply scientific analysis to policy challenges, we discover new and sometimes surprising relationships. If our analysis is sound, sound policies can emerge from these discoveries. The Ford School faculty members featured in this ...
The Center for the Study of Complex Systems, The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and the Department of Political Science will be hosting a two day conference on the Evolution of Cooperation and The Framing of Peace. This conference will focus on the past and current research of Robert Axelrod, who has made substantial contributions to all three units.
The President of the United States occupies a position of global importance, and the office of the presidency itself has grown in strength within the American political system. Nevertheless, the president and the executive branch often require the cooperation of other branches of government in order to decide upon and enact policy.
This course prepares students to understand the political and institutional environmental within which public policy is formulated and implemented. The primary focus will be on policy processes within the United States, but some attention will be pai...
