The Background section of this site includes several resources for aiding your understanding of Urban Affairs policy in Michigan. Here are the contents: 

Policy Briefs

We write papers that provide background information relevant to current policy discussions. We also collect and annotate papers written by advocates, researchers, and government officials containing relevant background information on state policy. 

Research

We collect and annotate links to academic papers and research reports relevant to policy issues currently being debated in Lansing. 

The Players

We  link to interest groups, institutions, activists, and legislators who are active in the state policy debate. For each link, we indicate what perspective the source represents and what role they have played in past policy debates. 

Timeline

We create a historical timeline of major events, legislation, and administrative decisions considered in Michigan state government. 

National Context

We summarize how the Michigan policy debate fits into the national debate. We briefly explain the similarities and differences between the Michigan debate and that in other states. We also link to and annotate information on the national policy debate created elsewhere.