The Ford School is committed to playing a leading role in rebuilding a public discourse that is nonpartisan, evidence-based, and inclusive.
Our graduate and undergraduates students are training to be civic and national leaders. We aim to deepen ...
Over spring break, annual policy study trips took undergrads to Brussels for the BA Global Engagement Seminar (above) and graduate students to Colombia for the International Policy in Practice seminar (below).
On a political spectrum that is becoming increasingly more divided, American Enterprise Institute president Robert Doar is optimistic that his center-right think tank is forging a path through the fray. “I think we're dividing into three countries: e...
Kara Swisher, the award-winning journalist and current Ford School Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence, sat down for a conversation with Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to discuss “The State of U.S. Democracy,” for her On with ...
In an effort to spark democratic engagement on college campuses, the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy and the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy co-hosted the Big Ten Democracy Summit in February. More than 150 stud...
As the political polarization in America rises, navigating across differences to find common ground—and policy solutions—has never been more important. This semester, four students—Rebecca Coyne (MPP ‘26), Ella Kinder (BA '25), Breah Marie Willy (BA ...
“Civility is the bedrock of our free and democratic society,” Tonya Schuitmaker, a former Republican member of the Michigan Senate, told the recent panel on Promoting Civic Discourse - Democratic and Republican politicians on bridging the political d...
As the 2024 elections approached, former governors Steve Bullock (D-MT) and John Kasich (R-OH) modeled speaking and listening across political and policy fault lines. The talk was organized by the Ford School with support from the University of Michi...
“Hamas has got the war they wanted.” That assessment came from Middle East scholar Hussein Ibish, who believes there has been a fundamental shift in the war between Israel and Hamas over the past year: from a more conventional airstrike campaign conc...
The Ford School of Public Policy presents events, research, and ideas from faculty and other experts that shape our understanding of the people and issues that are influencing local, state, and federal 2024 elections. Read stories and watch video rel...
Former Montana Governor Steve Bullock (D) thinks the biggest problems with American politics can be traced to three fundamental factors: gerrymandering has drastically decreased the number of competitive districts, changes in the media environment ha...
How do future policy leaders learn how to listen thoughtfully, process carefully, and respond empathetically? For several years, the Ford School has hosted public events that bring together speakers who represent different, sometimes conflicting, p...
Descendants of Presidents Ford and Carter proposed new principles to make sure upcoming elections will be fair, secure, and trusted by the American people. The Ford School of Public Policy hosted the Carter Center, Ford Presidential Foundation, and M...
The Ford School has an exciting and diverse series of events this fall, designed to encourage policy debate, civic engagement, and Conversations Across Differences in a number of ways for students, faculty, staff, and the wider U-M and general commun...
In the United States and around the world, the fate of democracy is being challenged. A number of studies have shown that the majority of Americans believe democracy is at risk. At the University of Michigan, faculty and students are participating in...
Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, Detroit Public TV produced a special reflecting on the events of that day and their consequences, featuring an interview with Dean Michael Barr.
"It highlighted a significant...
At Comerica Park, Detroit News photographer Robin Buckson spotted sociologist and Detroit historian Ren Farley keeping score as the Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals. “I teach the course on Detroit so I have to keep up with what is going on there,” ...
Journalists Nolan Finley and Stephen Henderson, Civility Project founders, discuss how Americans can talk with another, and even disagree, but agree to keep the dialogue going.
Michigan State Senators Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and John Damoose (R-Harbor Spring) join the Ford School's Jenna Bednar for a look at bipartisanship and what can be accomplished by "reaching across the aisle".
The Open Inquiry Week speaker series is designed to encourage the campus community to think – and talk with one another – about what it means to develop an informed opinion and stand your ground when challenged; and about changing your mind in light of new evidence, different perspectives, and serious reflection. Open inquiry and the thoughtful exchange of ideas can expand what you know (and how you know it), change your mind when warranted, and help cultivate the courage of your convictions when necessary.
Join Robert Doar, the president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), one of the United States' premier public policy think tanks, for a wide-ranging conversation with Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes.
Politicians from across the aisle discuss cross-partisan collaboration and how it can play a vital role in promoting unity, understanding, and constructive dialogue, ultimately benefiting the public by facilitating more inclusive and effective governance.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
In the year since the Hamas attack on Israel, the deadly conflict has widened into crises beyond Gaza -- in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Yemen. Two experts with long experience in Middle East policymaking return to the Ford School for a substantive policy conversation about the conflict and the broader implications for the region, and the ways in which U.S. policy and policymakers are acting and reacting to the crises. This event is open to Ford School students, faculty, and staff, and will be streamed live and on-demand.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium (Room 1120)
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) and Montana Governor Steve Bullock (D) will address the threats to American democracy, and the need for civic discourse across party lines and around the country.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
Have a question for our panel? Submit your question at: https://myumi.ch/4rPZ4 Two high-profile advocates from opposite ends of the political spectrum seek ways to connect and communicate about the most important issues facing the country.
A day-long "Conference on Electoral Mechanics, Processes, and Expectations for Fair and Credible Elections" presented by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, the Ford School of Public Policy, the Carter Center, and More Perfect.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium (Room 1120)
In recent years, the process for securing elections has been called into question. So how do elections really work? What systems are in place to ensure open, fair voting for all?
