معرفی
Stephanie Leiser serves as a Lecturer at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy and leads the Michigan Local Government Fiscal Health Project at the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP). Her expertise centers on public finance, budgeting, financial management, and state/local tax policy with specialized focus on business taxation incentives and municipal fiscal health.
Education:
- PhD in Public Policy and Management, University of Washington (2014)
- MPP, University of Michigan (2005)
Leiser's research investigates fiscal stress indicators in local governments, policy diffusion of tax incentives, and crisis responses in municipal finance. Her work bridges academic analysis with practical policymaking through CLOSUP's Michigan Public Policy Survey, examining how economic shocks like the Great Recession and pandemics impact budgetary decisions. She emphasizes data-driven approaches to fiscal health assessment and transparency in government financial reporting.
Her publication record (2011-2025) reveals three dominant trends: (1) Michigan-specific fiscal analysis using granular municipal data, (2) methodological innovations in measuring fiscal stress through quantile regressions and self-assessments, and (3) practical guidance for policymakers during crises like the development of the COVID-19 Local Fiscal Strategies Guide. Recent work increasingly focuses on digital data standards for municipal bond markets and pension fund volatility management.
Scientific Awards:
- No scientific awards documented in provided materials
As an educator, Leiser teaches public budgeting, tax policy, nonprofit financial management, and microeconomics, drawing on her prior experience as a Michigan legislative tax policy analyst. Her advising extends to policymakers through CLOSUP's nonpartisan research, though formal PhD/Master's students aren't listed. She directs the Michigan Local Government Fiscal Health Project which produces biennial fiscal reports and develops open data standards for local financial transparency.
Leiser's leadership of CLOSUP's fiscal health initiative involves coordinating with Michigan's 83 counties and 1,773 local governments through the Michigan Public Policy Survey. The project functions as a critical resource for practitioners navigating budgetary constraints, with recent work focusing on post-pandemic recovery strategies and regional service sharing models to enhance fiscal resilience.
