Welcome To Michigan's Oldest & Most Respected
Public Policy Research Organization

For 100 years, the objective of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan has been to provide factual, unbiased independent information on significant issues concerning state and local government organization and finance. CRC believes that the use of this information by policymakers will lead to sound, rational public policy in Michigan.

Upcoming Events

Preparing the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow

Leader’s Issue Forum Preparing the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow Michigan needs workers capable of being part of the workforce of today and in the future. Every year our high schools are graduating students capable of becoming those workers. Colleges are tailoring their offerings to meet the needs of the workforce. And workers are getting retra...

Latest Publications

Evaluating the Effects of Term Limits on the Michigan Legislature

Report 401 | May 2018 In a Nutshell Legislative term limits in Michigan have failed to achieve their proponents’ stated goals: Ridding government of career politicians, increasing diversity among elected officials, and making elections more competi...

Outline of the Michigan Tax System – Archives

Outline of the Michigan Tax System 2018 Edition 2017 Edition 2016 Edition 2015 Edition 2014 Edition 2012 Edition 2011 Edition 2008 Edition 2007 Edition 2006 Edition 2005 Edition 2004 Edition 2003 Edition 2002 Edition 1997 Edition

Tax Day brings updates to the Outline of the Michigan Tax System

Livonia, Mich. – April 17, 2018 – As Michigan residents pay their taxes for another year, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan has released its annual update of the Outline of the Michigan Tax System. The outline is an explanation of the var...

Blog: Research Column

Revenue estimating projects a surplus. Now what to do with it.

In a nutshell: Economic growth is expected to continue at the same slow pace. Revised General Fund and School Aid Fund projections increase state revenues by about $500 million over the next two years; a 1 percent increase. Attention turns to the leg...

Evaluating the Effects of Term Limits on the Michigan Legislature

A version of this post appeared in the May 8, 2018 Bridge Magazine In a Nutshell Legislative term limits in Michigan have failed to achieve their proponents’ stated goals: Ridding government of career politicians, increasing diversity among elected...

The Stakes for Michigan in the 2020 Census

A version of this post appeared in the May 3, 2108 Lansing State Journal In a Nutshell Besides counting people for apportioning representation in Congress, population count produced by census is used to allot federal and state funding Michigan’...

When is a constitutional amendment not an amendment? When it’s a ‘general revision.’ It’s an important distinction this election year.

In a nutshell A citizen-led constitutional amendment to change Michigan’s redistricting process is aiming to get on the November 2018 ballot. The proposal has been challenged in court on the same grounds that prevented the 2008 Reform Michigan Gove...

  • Your knowledge and ability to distill the key issues in an easily understood manner is indeed impressive. As a long-time member of the Michigan School Business Officials, and current president, I look forward to your presentations and updates. They are thoughtful, balanced, and accurate. To say that you are a credible source on state finances is an understatement.

    Timothy Raymer
    Assistant Superintendent, Grandville Public Schools

  • The Citizens Research Council of Michigan -- the folks that bring you all those great non-partisan reports and data on Michigan government, laws, etc. are finally up and running on the web and it was worth the wait. This is a great site. Low-key graphics, great indexing, plenty of content including all their reports, research and memos...This is an invaluable tool...

    Debbie Gallagher, Government Information Specialist
    Michigan Electronic Library, University of Michigan

  • The Citizens Research Council of Michigan has been providing unbiased analysis of public issues since 1916. It is one of this state's indispensable institutions... The CRC's supporters recognize the need for impartial and nonpartisan analysis of local and state policy and fiscal issues... The value of the CRC over the years has been that it is private and independent of political party or ideology.


    The Detroit News

  • Dear CRC,
    Thank you for all the fine work you do. I'm a long time reader of you analyses and am a better citizen because of it.

    George Matthews
    Retired School Teacher

  • I have had a long relationship using the publications of the Citizens Research Council...you do a lot of good work here and we appreciate the support that keeps this operation so vital and relevant to the debates in Lansing, to Michigan's economic future, and to Michigan's future, period.

    Honorable John Engler
    Former Michigan Governor

  • The Citizens Research Council strives, without regard to political party or agenda, to frame educational issues in a balanced and thought-provoking context. Its consistent record of objectivity and thoroughness has made the CRC a high quality and immensely credible resource for policymakers at the state and local leadership levels. You can always count on CRC's findings to be solid and trustworthy.

    Mike Flanagan
    Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction

  • Fortunately, we have here in Michigan an admirable entity known as the Citizens Research Council. CRC often comes to the rescue in public policy disputes and has demonstrated an acute ability to separate fact from fiction.

    Glenn Gilbert
    Oakland Press

  • The non-aligned Citizens Research Council of Michigan is a group with no particular axes to grind that we can see. Their bare-bones, passionless and objective studies of Michigan's ballot proposals might prove very helpful to interested voters wanting to make the most informed possible choices.


    Muskegon Chronicle

  • Since 1916, the CRC has been an advocate of state and local "good government." The Research Council's studies of policy and administrative practice in Michigan win national prizes for excellence, and universal respect from the best of our state and local leaders.

    Michael Meagher
    Fowlerville News/Review

  • Nonpartisan, accurate, unbiased and credible research on key issues, from school vouchers to Internet sales tax to better ways to finance highway construction to ideas for eliminating the blight of abandoned, tax-reverted properties in Michigan's older cities.

    Mary Kramer
    Crain's Detroit Business

  • [Escanaba Schools Superintendent Tom] Smith respects the findings of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. "It's a pretty good group, well-respected, nonpartisan," he said. "Its opinions have been valued by both Democrats and Republicans as they formulate state policy"and by teachers and administrators alike."


    Daily Press, Escanaba

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