I am a Professor in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Department of Political Science, and a Research Associate in the Center for Political Studies, Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1991. My current research focuses on intergovernmental cooperation in U.S. metro areas; local government capacity; political participation; elections; economic development; and urban politics and policy. I teach classes on state and local policy analysis, community and economic development, interest groups, program evaluation and research design.