state and local government

By its very definition, democracy gives people a voice in the decisions that affect their communities, but the practice of incorporating citizen voices in government decisions can be complicated and challenging.Last semester, three students from the...

Upon graduating from the Ford School, Lishaun Francis (MPP ‘09) headed to DC to work as a Management and Program Analyst at the United States Department of Education (DoE). Although she felt she was making an impact on public education, working at...

Each year, approximately 20 percent of Ford School master’s students explore policy at the local or state levels through their required 10-week internship, and this summer was no different. Ford School faculty and staff helped students find...

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...

Findings from the most recent Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), published by the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), reveal broad concern by local leaders and administrators over property tax appeals. The survey...

Nearly two-thirds of Michigan’s local leaders believe that the state’s system of funding local government is broken and in need of reform. This belief is shared by a majority of local leaders from jurisdictions large and small, from every region of...

The Detroit Free Press Editorial Board asks, “Lansing, are you listening to Michigan cities?” The piece draws attention to the latest Michigan Public Policy Survey on the fiscal health of the state’s local governments. The University of...

After five years of steady statewide improvement, fewer Michigan communities report that they are better able to meet their fiscal needs this year.A University of Michigan survey polled top elected and appointed officials in the state's 1,856 units...

In 2004, the Ford School’s newly launched Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) sponsored its first internship partnership with the City of Ann Arbor administrator’s office.  “Part of the center’s mission is to help bring the resources...

The latest Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), published by the Ford School's Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), finds that local leaders are less optimistic about the state’s direction.Statewide, only 44 percent of local leaders...

Caption: Michigan State Capitol BuildingCredit: Photo by Matt Katzenberger, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) is offering a new undergraduate course for students looking for opportunities to work with survey...

As national concern for addressing global warming grows, more and more Americans are looking for governmental action to speed a transition to low-carbon energy sources.