Although there are well-documented examples of coarsening discourse and antagonism in public gatherings, a new University of Michigan study found that local government leaders in Michigan generally report good relations among residents and officials. Based on surveys conducted in the spring by the Ford School of Public Policy’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP), two-thirds of officials reported primarily constructive discourse between elected officials and residents, and 82% rated civic relationships between these groups as good or excellent, despite concerns about harassment, threats and rare violence against local officials.
