Free and open to the public – this is a virtual webinar on Zoom
Please register at https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VFRI4TtESPGTnsQ-jnBUvQ

The Functioning of Democracy across the Urban-Rural Spectrum
There is much talk, especially in recent years, about the urban-rural divide: the idea that people from urban and rural places think fundamentally differently about a whole range of policy issues, and about governance itself. This semester, Ford School students have been analyzing data from previous iterations of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS), a survey of Michigan local government officials conducted annually since 2008 by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), to identify where there are and—importantly—are not differences along the urban-rural continuum.

In this virtual event, these student researchers will share their research on the similarities and differences across the continuum with respect to:
• The state of civic discourse (Kyron Smith)
• Public participation in decision-making (Karley Thurston)
• Citizen engagement (Christian Hunter)
• Internet connectivity and access to information (Julie Rubin)
• Privatization of local government services (Kristina Curtiss)