state government

In the days following the 2024 elections, we sought insights from Ford School faculty members: How did we arrive at this point? And where do we go from here?>>Jenna Bednar, professor of political science and public policy: “The election raised the...

Celebrated, Emmy Award-winning TV producer (Queer Eye), bestselling author, and host of the popular podcast Getting Curious, Jonathan Van Ness, who identifies as non-binary, has used their platform to champion a range of social issues close to their...

A growing number of public policy graduates are opting to work in public sector consulting—public arms of larger firms such as EY or Deloitte, or advisory consulting firms such as Guidehouse, Huron Consulting Group, or Booz Allen. For many years, a...

Last fall, five Ford School students in the Strategic Public Policy Consulting class launched a research project on a Michigan criminal justice reform bill called the Second Chance Sentencing Act. At the time, no one imagined the students would...

Since 2019, the Youth Policy Lab has partnered with the State of Michigan and with local school districts to place early-career professionals in government agencies to make specific, measurable improvements in policies and programs that impact...

Of all of the recent headlines about U.S. government dysfunction, election denialism, and voter dissatisfaction, one in particular worries Ford School political scientist Jenna Bednar. The New York Times reported in October 2022, “Voters See...

This fall, Michigan State Representative Dylan Wegela tasked a group of Ford School students to research the implications of artificial intelligence and surveillance in the workplace. Their project is part of a 2-credit experiential learning...

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...

Among its many provisions, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentivizes people, companies, and government agencies to be more climate-conscious. Barry Rabe, J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy, told Capital and Main that New...

The New York State Senate recently approved Adrienne Harris, professor of practice at the Ford School, as Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). “I thank Governor Hochul for my nomination. I thank the New...

News outlets are applauding Tom Ivacko and the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy's announcement about a project with the city of Flint that will examine whether a new fiscal reporting mechanism can help create transparency in local fiscal...

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,...

As the Biden administration embarks on its first hundred days, experts from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy have produced a series of policy briefs on key issues. Download the PDF of this brief or read the web-formatted version...

COVID-19-themed cyberattacks are on the rise due to an exponential increase in telework and an opportunity to exploit fear during the pandemic. Ford School alum John Guerriero (MPP ‘17) and his team at the National Governors Association Center for...

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...

Everyone has seen it while cruising through social media: anti-vaccine proponents (anti-vaxxers) demonizing immunization as a link to causing autism. Or you may have scrolled past a meme mocking such claims. While social media and the internet...

Many local government leaders across Michigan aren't content with their jurisdiction's relationship with state government, according to a new survey by University of Michigan researchers. The latest Michigan Public Policy Survey explored factors...