Our POLITICS + POLICY category provides users with an extensive list of articles dealing with past, present, and future issues relating to politics and policy throughout the UP.
Recently Published
Maintenance, Not Growth: U.P. Local Leaders Reflect Statewide Funding Strains
A new Michigan Public Policy Survey report highlights what many U.P. communities have been feeling for years: local governments are stretched thin, costs are rising, and there are limited options to bring in new revenue.
Change isn’t the problem—Profitizing Michigan’s mental health system is
Tom Watkins wrote in Michigan Advance recently about the importance of community-based mental health, and the dangers of “profitizing” these critical services.
Balancing Tradition and Technology
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, small-town policing is finding a balance between tradition and technology. From body cameras to drones, U.P. law enforcement agencies have rapidly adopted new tools over the past decade–boosting safety and accountability while navigating questions about privacy, cost, and community trust. Tristin Smith explores how these innovations are reshaping rural policing and what it means for the close-knit communities that define the U.P.
Letter to the Editor: Reflections on a Fading American Dream
One reader reflects on a lifetime of hope, progress, and now disillusionment as he answers the question: “Is the American Dream still alive?”
The Big Beautiful Act, Medicaid and the Upper Peninsula
The new “Big Beautiful Act” slashes $1 trillion from Medicaid and CHIP, cutting at least 10.5 million people from coverage. For the U.P., this means fewer insured residents, struggling hospitals, job losses, and longer drives for care.
