Written by: Matt Grossmann
Primary Source: Michigan Policy Wonk Blog – May 2, 2016
Our weekly round-up of policy-relevant reads and IPPSR-connected research.
Problems:
- On-the-job deaths in agriculture rise (link is external). An annual Michigan State University report revealed this week that reveals a decline in on-the-job deaths for the year, but an increase in fatalities related to the use of tractors.
- Community, multi-university campus partnership to address public health challenges in Flint (link is external). Three major Michigan universities, including MSU, are partnering with the Flint community to address the current and future status of Flint residents and their health.
- Report: Michigan may lag in supporting top workers (link is external). Doug Rothwell, a speaker at IPPSR’s 2012 Legislative Leadership Program (LLP), comments on high paying and low skill jobs in Michigan.
Policy:
- MDOT, MSU researchers tackle potholes from the soil up (link is external). Two MSU researchers think they found a way to better protect Michigan’s roads, but MDOT is waiting for more results before changing policies.
- What Does Medicaid Expansion Mean for Cancer Screening? New randomized trial research summary in our policy database.
- New IPPSR Affiliated Faculty include Kristi Bowman, Michelle Kaminski, and Heather Howard.
Politics:
- Trump and the madness of crowds (link is external). An opinion piece in The New York Times describes Trump’s strange ascent to the Republican front runner position, while citing work from IPPSR director Matt Grossmann.
- How might 2016 “raucous and competitive” elections shape the state legislature? (link is external) Rick Pluta and Zach Gorchow join Michigan Radio to discuss how this election season may change the Michigan legislature.
- Matt Grossmann Talks Taking over from Doug Roberts at MSU (link is external). An Interview at Inside Michigan Politics.
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Matt Grossmann serves as the Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and Associate Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University. His research spans national and state policymaking, election campaigns, interest groups, and political parties. His current work explores key differences between major political parties and economic inequality in policy influence. He is the author of Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks and American Policy Change Since 1945, published by Oxford University Press in 2014 and The Not-So-Special Interests: Interest Groups, Public Representation, and American Governance, published by Stanford University Press in 2012. He is author of numerous journal articles on such topics as policy change, political party networks, the legislative process and public opinion. His research appears in the Journal of Politics, Policy Studies Journal, Perspectives on Politics, American Politics Research and other publications. He also writes for blogs and popular media. His roots are also deep in practical politics, especially in candidate training, policy and survey research. His experience includes work at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, the Institute of Governmental Studies, the Center for Voting and Democracy and the Center for Democracy and Technology. A member of MSU’s faculty since 2007, he is founder and director of the Michigan Policy Network and served as liaison to MSU’s Washington Semester Program. He received his bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna College, his master’s in political science in 2002 and doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2007. He became IPPSR director in January 2016.

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