According to research by University of Michigan’s CLOSUP center, the Upper Peninsula is defying statewide trends with improved state-local relations since 2016. The following article contains insights on this unique dynamic in regional governance.

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MSU scandal starts where it should stop: With governing board

John Lindstrom’s article in the Detroit Free Press, “MSU is getting attention…

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UP Survey From Ford School at U of M, UP Continues to Struggle With Medical Specialist Availability, Home Buyer Changes, & Michigan Continues to Lose Population

UP Survey From Ford School at U of M, UP Continues to Struggle With Medical Specialist Availability, Home Buyer Changes, & Michigan Continues to Lose Population. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Rural Voices

Diplomatic Paths: From Marquette to the World with Robert Hilton

In the latest episode of the Rural Insights Podcast, David Haynes sits down with Robert Hilton, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Army and a Marquette native with a storied international career.

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Rural Voices: Don Wotruba

In the latest Rural Voices column, Upper Peninsula Native Don Wotruba gives an account of how his small-town upbringing in Carney-Nadeau provided a valuable foundation that has served him well in the years since he left the UP.

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We are the primary source for economic and policy research and information in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and beyond, working to ensure that our citizens and policymakers alike have the information they need to make informed decisions.

 

We believe that Truth + Knowledge equals Power, and that the people in rural areas deserve access to these tools just as much as anyone else.

The Issues

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Recent UP Migration Trends and Their Economic Consequences

In their latest Rural Insights article, Michael and John Broadway expand their previous study on migration trends for the UP to all 15 counties, and share what conclusions we can draw from this data.

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Child Care Cost Increases, Americans Losing Confidence in Higher Ed, Bad News for Donuts, and a Push for Transparency in Michigan

Child Care Cost Increases, Americans Losing Confidence in Higher Ed, Bad News for Donuts, and a Push for Transparency in Michigan. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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A Correction, NMU Alumni Grumble on Football Losses, Election Time in the UP, Minimum Wage Effort, Transparency in Michigan Legislature, and More

A Correction, NMU Alumni Grumble on Football Losses, Election Time in the UP, Minimum Wage Effort, Transparency in Michigan Legislature, and More. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.

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Research

Assessing Socioeconomic Trends and Disparities in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: A County-by-County Analysis

We occasionally publish research by NMU students, and this article is an…

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Earned Income Tax Credit: Max Steele’s Analysis

Rural areas have several demographic components that lend themselves to having a…

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Recent Population Changes in the U.P. Amidst the Pandemic

The population dynamics of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are well documented. Its population,…

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Boom and Bust: Calumet and Keweenaw National Historical Park 30 Years On

Many communities throughout the Upper Peninsula have developed their sense of place…

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Survey Shows Diversity of NMU’s Student Veterans

Diversity is something that members of America’s armed forces inadvertently come to…

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