Michigan Journal of Public Affairs Volume 13 (complete volume)
Letter from the Co-Editors in Chief
The Michigan Journal of Public Affairs is committed to publishing innovative public policy related articles from graduate students, emerging scholars, and policy professionals. This year the Executive Staff made it a priority to increase the academic breadth and organizational presence of the journal. We are proud that this year’s journal captures the professionalism and hard work of our staff and authors with the final publication of eight articles dealing with a range of practical policy issues like the integration of micro-grids in national disaster relief efforts, public attitudes towards sex workers, and international censorship practices of social media sites.
A new initiative we launched to increase the topical diversity of the journal included putting out a special call for papers dealing with historically underrepresented topics, like environmental policy. Additionally, we established the first-ever Special Issue for articles pertaining to Constitutional Rights and Freedoms. Subsequently, this year’s publication showcases two special issue articles, one dealing with the legal and ideological underpinnings of gender inequality in Iran and the other discussing the sociopolitical effects of the Iraqi constitutional process in the early 2000s. We hope that future Special Issues will further our ability to publish a more holistic set of papers.
In addition, to increase the organizational presence of the journal we hosted the first annual MJPA Launch Party in the fall, showcasing articles on peacekeeping, migration, and education. We also co-sponsored events such as a policy talk with established Detroit journalist Nolan Finley in which students discussed divisive Detroit politics and learned about different policy initiatives happening at the state and local level. Furthermore, our ability to build upon the reputation and rigor of the journal this year stems from the long-standing support we receive from the Ford School administration. Since its inception, the Dean’s Office of the Gerald R. Ford School has greatly supported the student-led publication, committing three years of funding this year to ensure that MJPA continues to disseminate rigorous policy research. Moreover, this year Paula Lantz, Associate Dean for Research and Policy Engagement, became the journal’s faculty advisor, lending her editorial and academic expertise throughout the review and editing process.
Overall, this journal would not be possible without the commitment of our experienced editorial staff and talented authors. Authors collaborated with our editorial staff for five months to produce the most refined version of their research and findings. We are delighted to share this issue of the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs with you and hope that the journal’s reputation continues to grow in coming years.
Enjoy!
– Jennie Alfaro and Jacqueline Barocio
MJPA Co-Editors in Chief