2023 Research “Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future” Awarded
“Most Effective Education” by National Peer Organization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Asheville, SC, July 24, 2024 – The Citizens Research Council of Michigan and Altarum yesterday were recognized by the Governmental Research Association (GRA) with The Most Effective Education award in the “state government-focused” category. The award, announced at the annual GRA meeting in North Carolina, was in recognition of the two group’s Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future: Challenges and Opportunities.

GRA is a national organization made up of professional researchers and research organizations engaged in public policy governmental research and analysis in major cities and several states.

“The GRA’s Most Effective Education Award Committee was deeply impressed with the depth and breadth of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan and Altarum’s ‘Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future: Challenges and Opportunities,’ said Dr. Justine Oliva, who chaired the committee. “We found the series to be well researched and clearly written, with obvious evidence of wide effect on public discourse.”

Citizens Research Council and Altarum, a Michigan-based non-profit focused on health, were commissioned by the Council of Michigan Foundations to provide analysis of Michigan’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future focused on what it will take to make Michigan a thriving state once again.

The five-part series of reports were published between May and October 2023. They comprehensively analyzed Michigan’s population, economy, workforce, health, infrastructure, environment, climate, and public sector resources. It also recommended necessary investments and policy changes for Michigan to be a thriving state by 2050.

“We are thrilled and honored to once again be recognized for our educational work by the preeminent national organization of our peers,” said Eric Lupher, president of the Citizens Research Council. “This work was both professional and personal for everyone involved.

“Michigan was considered a thriving state within my lifetime; however, the state has been losing ground for the past five decades. We fell behind other states in population growth, jobs, earnings, health, educational achievement, and the quality of public services at the state and local levels. Our series pulled together how we arrived here and the opportunities to change course.”

The report documented the many challenging trends – including too few immigrants targeting Michigan as a destination and too many young Michigan residents leaving – that Michigan is facing. It describes why it is important to address these challenges urgently. Notably, Michigan finds itself in the bottom third of national rankings, including:

• 36th in K-12 educational outcomes
• 39th in per capita personal income
• 39th in health outcomes
• 45th in electric service reliability
• 47th in road condition.

The series was widely consumed and reported on, generating over 600 unique media stories, resulting in over one billion potential views or news reach.

Founded in 1916, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan works to improve government in Michigan. The organization provides factual, unbiased, independent information concerning significant issues of state and local government organization, policy, and finance. By delivery of this information to policymakers and citizens, the Research Council aims to ensure sound and rational public policy formation in Michigan. For more information, visit www.crcmich.org.

Established in 1914, the Governmental Research Association is the national group of organizations and individuals professionally engaged in public policy, governmental, and civic research. The purpose of the Association is to encourage individuals and organizations to engage in governmental research in the general interest. Governmental research involves the collection, analysis, and distribution of factual information on governmental activities to citizens and officials for the improvement of government and the reduction of its cost. For more information, visit https://graonline.org/.

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