Charles Ballard

Outscore pundits and experts in new Election Madness game

With record levels of absentee voting in Michigan, trends seem to moving “a little bit in the Democratic direction,” a Michigan State University political scientist forecast in the State of the State Podcast.

Question raised in latest State of the State Podcast

While the polls show former Vice President Joe Biden ahead in in the race for president, the margin may not be enough to win the White House, a Michigan State University economist cautioned in the latest State of the State Podcast.

Results from State of the State Survey, election and economic trends

As the world continues to battle the coronavirus, Michigan residents are giving Gov. Gretchen Whitmer high job performance marks while describing their personal finances as more depressed, new results from the State of the State Survey show.

In much of the United States, the earnings of African American workers have fallen relative to the earnings of white workers since the late 1970s and early 1980s, according to a new study from two Michigan State University economists.

Will pandemic inspire more support for access, asks State of the State Podcast

High speed internet should be available to all learners, especially students in K-12 schools, another lesson from the coronavirus pandemic, researchers broadcasting on the State of the State Podcast are agreed.

State of the State is the monthly roundup of policy and research for the State of Michigan from the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University and our friends at WKAR. Arnold Weinfeld, associate director for the institute, is joined as always by MSU economist Dr. Charley Ballard and Institute Director Dr. Matt Grossmann.

The novel Coronavirus pandemic that’s scarred the country with death and disease has sparked economic recession, says Michigan State University's Charles Ballard in the latest edition of the State of the State Podcast.

The Michigan State University State of the State podcasters crisscross the state's issues in this edition. Their travel through the issues leads from the state's upcoming March 10 primary -- and the presidential candidates -- to clean water issues and efforts to repair the state's roads. 

Opinions from the latest State of the State Survey

Michigan consumers are more positive about their personal finances than they’ve been in nearly two decades, and by some measures, the most upbeat of the century, the latest State of the State Survey finds.

Predictions ahead for 2020 in the final State of the State Podcast of 2019

After three sluggish years, Michigan’s economy could perk up in 2020 with relaxed tariffs, an end to the General Motors’ strike and a bipartisan North American Free Trade Agreement, Institute for Public Policy and Social Research podcasters are predicting.