Community and Social Issues

Michigan Redistricting Project

In November 2018, the citizens of Michigan passed Proposal 2, which amended the Michigan Constitution to place congressional and state legislative redistricting in the hands of a new Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC)...

MPPS in the news

Municipalities Hit Spending Struggles With Federal COVID Relief Dollars

Jul 11, 2023 MIRS

Federal funds intended to stabilize the budgets of local communities have proven a daunting task to take down for multiple reasons, a recent policy survey by the University of Michigan found. Cities, villages and townships trying to spend the $4.4...

CLOSUP Updates

MPPS Report: Michigan local leaders’ concerns about U.S. democracy at state and federal levels ease somewhat, but remain grim

Nov 16, 2022

A new report presents local government leaders’ views regarding the functioning of democracy in their jurisdictions, the State of Michigan, and the United States as a whole. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders...

In the Media

Fact check: False claim Michigan's Proposal 2 would allow felons to vote from prison

Nov 7, 2022 USA Today

Voters around the country will be making decisions on an array of candidates and issues in the 2022 midterm election on Nov. 8. One viral Instagram post urges Michigan voters to vote against a ballot proposal that it characterized as a threat to...

In the Media

Meet the election deniers on the cusp of controlling U.S. elections

Oct 31, 2022 CBC

Let's try imagining what the next U.S. presidential election might look like. It's 2024. It's been a bitter, hard-fought campaign. Votes are being...

MPPS in the news

Whitmer, Dixon race nears finish line; GOP entering midterms with cash edge: Your guide to Michigan politics

Oct 30, 2022 Mlive.com

While you’d be excused for thinking that political news only happened at the state level this week, there was no shortage of other interesting political headlines. That includes Republican Sen. Ed McBroom giving an at-length speech on the dangers of...

MPPS in the news

Despite political tension, relationships with Michigan’s local officials remain civil, study finds

Oct 27, 2022 Mlive.com

A new study revealed that relationships amongst local government officials in Michigan, as well as between local officials and residents, have remained relatively stable despite polarizing politics at the state and national...

MPPS in the news

Despite political tension, relationships with Michigan’s local officials remain civil, study finds

Oct 27, 2022 AnnArbor.com

MPPS in the news

Mixed Reviews From Local Leaders For Redistricting Commission

Oct 26, 2022 Gongwer.com

Support among local leaders for the concept of an independent redistricting commission has waned over time, according to a study published by the University of Michigan's Center for Local State and Urban...

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Policy Brief: Local government officials give mixed reviews to Michigan’s new approach to redistricting

Oct 26, 2022

A new policy brief presents the opinions of Michigan local government leaders on Michigan’s new approach to electoral redistricting and the performance of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC). These findings are based...

A blue map of Michigan layered over a blue neighborhood map

MPPS in the news

Study finds many election workers feel harassed. Here's what local officials say

Oct 24, 2022 Livingston Daily

The findings are contained in the spring results from the Michigan Public Policy Survey, a regular poll of all 1,856 local governments in the...

MPPS in the news

Commentary: Political violence has no place in our elections

Oct 24, 2022 Crain's Detroit Business

Elections are contentious, but in recent years they have gotten uglier, with the rise in political violence polluting our...

In the Media

Spotlight Special: Economy, polling, policy on Inside Michigan's AAV

Oct 23, 2022 Bounce TV

On Saturday, October 22, (11:30 a.m.) on BOUNCE TV and Sunday, October23, (1:00 p.m.), on WMYD-TV 20, our Spotlight on the News Special: Inside Michigan's African Vote, looks at how the economy, polling, and policy may impact election 2022. Our...

In the Media

Spotlight Special: Economy, polling, policy on Inside Michigan's AAV

Oct 23, 2022 WMYD TV

In the Media

Spotlight Special: Economy, polling, policy on Inside Michigan's AAV

Oct 23, 2022 WXMI-Fox17 TV

In the Media

Spotlight Special: Economy, polling, policy on Inside Michigan's AAV

Oct 22, 2022 wxyz.com

MPPS in the news

Despite Harassment, Local Officials Positive About Political Discourse

Oct 12, 2022 Gongwer (subscription required)

Although the tone of political discourse seems increasingly hostile, a new survey from the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy suggests that things might not be as bad as they seem. The results of the Michigan Public...

CLOSUP Updates

MPPS Report: Michigan local government leaders say civic relationships and civil discourse remain healthy, despite worsening national politics

Oct 12, 2022

A new report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the state of public discourse in their communities, including how constructive or divisive it is, as well as their assessments of civic relationships among elected...

In the Media

Conspiracy theorists flood the election process, set sights on monitoring ballot drop boxes

Oct 4, 2022 Raw Story

In the 2020 presidential election, there were upwards of 150 poll workers in Detroit. Then came the onslaught of right-wing conspiracy theories and lies that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump – and the baseless claim...

MPPS in the news

Conspiracy theorists flood the election process, set sights on monitoring ballot drop boxes

Oct 3, 2022 Michigan Advance

MPPS in the news

Conspiracy theorists flood the election process, set sights on monitoring ballot drop boxes

Oct 3, 2022 KPVI NBC TV 6

In the 2020 presidential election, there were upwards of 150 poll workers in...

MPPS in the news

State of the State Podcast - segment on election administration findings from the MPPS

Sep 23, 2022 MSU IPPSR State of the State Podcast

IPPSR's State of the State podcast had Debra Horner on to review findings from the Spring 2022 MPPS survey on local leaders' views about the upcoming November 2022...

MPPS in the news

Like democracy, election workers are under assault with many fearing for the future

Sep 15, 2022 Michigan Advance

They are considered “essential” to ensuring the success of elections, and yet almost a third of election workers are believed to have left their job at least in part because of fears for their safety, increased threats or...

MPPS in the news

Nearly Half Of Top Local Officials Have Been Harassed, Survey Finds

Sep 12, 2022 Gongwer.com (subscription required)

Nearly half of top officials in local government across the state reported harassment during the last few years, a survey conducted by the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy...

CLOSUP Updates

New MPPS Policy Brief: Statewide survey finds a majority of Michigan local governments experiencing harassment or other abuse

Sep 8, 2022

A new policy brief presents Michigan local government leaders’ experiences with public harassment, threats, or even violence as part of their role in local government. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the...

MPPS in the news

More than half of Michigan local governments report that employees have been harassed and abused for doing their job

Sep 8, 2022 localtoday.news

According to a statewide survey conducted by the University of Michigan, the majority of Michigan local governments experience some form of harassment or other abuse from the...

MPPS in the news

Almost half of Michigan local officials report harassment and abuse, survey finds

Sep 8, 2022 Detroit Free Press

Delta Township Clerk Mary Clark thought it'd be a good idea to invite her community to have a conversation about how elections work. The veteran elections official wanted to walk through how voting apparatuses are operated, broadly explain security...

MPPS in the news

Nearly half of top local Michigan officials say they've been harassed, UM survey says

Sep 8, 2022 The Detroit News

Nearly half of top officials in local governments across Michigan have reported being harassed in recent years, according to a survey by the University of Michigan released ...

MPPS in the news

Almost half of Michigan local officials report harassment and abuse, survey finds

Sep 8, 2022 Hillsdale Daily News

Delta Township Clerk Mary Clark thought it'd be a good idea to invite her community to have a conversation about how elections...

MPPS in the news

'We all hate each other': Lucido-Hackel battle embroils Macomb County government

Aug 30, 2022 The Detroit News

Macomb County has become embroiled in a fight between longtime county Executive Mark Hackel and new Prosecuting Attorney Peter Lucido that includes a court battle over prosecutor's office jobs and an investigation into allegations of sexual...