History + Vision

• As a graduate school of public policy and planning, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs exemplifies the University's land grant mission of teaching, research, and outreach. The State and Local Policy Program (SLPP) was founded in 1991 to increase the Humphrey School's commitment to state and local policy issues. SLPP helps policy leaders and citizens understand how changes in the global economy, technology, and the workplace affect communities by:

  Convening to increase discussion and awareness of policy issues
  Contributing to produce and integrate new information, ideas, and approaches
  Changing to enhance and apply public policy that addresses community needs

Research Priorities

SLPP undertakes projects in four major policy areas:

Achievements

• Over the years, SLPP has garnered a national and international reputation for research and educational work on transportation and the environment, telecommunications and transportation, and congestion pricing and for public policy studies on economic development, including pioneering work on the industry clusters strategy.

• The Minnesota Department of Transportation established an investment analysis office based on the recommendation of an SLPP report. And Minnesota State Colleges and Universities have used an industry cluster approach, based on SLPP's industry cluster studies, to align curriculum with changing industry workforce needs.