Unpacking Election Policy: How is it Shaping our Democracy?
Open to Everyone
This event is part of CRJ’s fall 2025 “Let’s Unpack That” teach-in series. In today’s fast-moving world, the information ecosystem can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to understanding policy issues that shape our lives. “Let’s Unpack That” is an engaging series of lunchtime teach-ins where U-M leading experts break down the policy issues of the day in a clear, approachable way. Each session will give you the tools to make sense of complex debates and explore why they matter for you, your community, and the world.
About the Panelists
Jowei Chen is an associate professor of Political Science in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Chen studies redistricting, political geography, distributive politics, and executive agencies. His research has examined the partisan and racial effects of redistricting maps and the effect of political geography on redistricting outcomes. He has studied how legislators’ pork-barreling strategies are shaped by the electoral geography of their districts and how government spending influences voters.
Mara Ostfeld is the research director at the Center for Racial Justice and a research associate professor at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She also serves as a faculty lead of the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study—an ongoing, representative survey of Detroit households that captures residents’ expectations, perceptions, priorities, and aspirations.