Scene of Sedona, Arizona

Research

Morrison Institute is a leading resource for relevant research, analysis and policy choices of public value. Recent research reports are listed below.

More Morrison Institute research reports are available in the Arizona State University archives.

Recruitment and Retention of Arizona's Law Enforcement and Fire Service Personnel
Financed by the Arizona Board of Regents’ Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) through a Regents’ Community Grant, collaborative teams at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Arizona, and Morrison Institute for Public Policy convened to examine challenges and opportunities for Arizona's public safety workforce.

Keeping up with Demand: Phoenix Fire Department Response to Increased Emergency Calls
The following study reviewed the 911 calls and response times for the Phoenix Fire Department. While the call volume increased 120% from 2015 to 2022, the average response times did not increase. Additional overtime data and interviews were used to gauge the PFD’s ability to maintain response times and explore the impacts of this additional workload.

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Policy and Program Review
This policy and program review takes a look at a few effective, unique, and innovative policies and programs that states are employing to reduce or mitigate the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). For this review, researchers considered the top six most challenging ACEs in Arizona as compared to other states.

New Phoenix AMA Model Shows Limits of Groundwater as an Assured Water Supply

The State of Arizona has released a new 100-year groundwater model for Greater Phoenix, showing that the area’s groundwater is fully allocated. While the model results will not impact cities, towns, and private water providers that have a Designation of an Assured Water Supply (the vast majority of Phoenix-area communities), the model results may have implications for the patterns and rates of new home development.

Untangling Housing Affordability & Groundwater Regulation

This explainer takes a look at the updates to the Certificate of Assured Water Supply and how it will impact housing affordability. To ensure long-term water supplies for current residents, the state has imposed limitations on some new housing subdivisions and other types of development.

Northern Arizona Water Affordability Study

Access to safe, reliable, affordable drinking water is the foundation of public health, economic opportunity, and quality of life in any community. Yet, significant challenges associated with providing and maintaining this access exist across Arizona, perhaps most acutely on Native American reservations and in small, physically isolated rural communities across the state.

Morrison Institute Housing Research
Arizona Community Foundation generously funded Morrison Institute for Public Policy to examine issues related to housing insecurity in Arizona. On this page, you will find all of the Morrison Institute research conducted as part of this project. New research will be added throughout 2021 and 2022.

Arizona Town Hall: Equity for All Arizonans

This year’s Arizona Town Hall report examines equity as one mechanism for accomplishing the goal of a vibrant, thriving Arizona. Research shows that the benefits of equity extend beyond improvements for any one individual or category of people.

2022 Ballot Propositions

This summary is intended to be a quick reference guide for voters as they consider questions that will be on the November 2022 ballot. 

Examining the Ease of Voting in Arizona

There is a tension “between safeguarding the integrity of the vote and ensuring broad participation,” but it is larger structural forces – economic development, history, culture – that seem to determine the level of election turnout and fraud. At the same time, small procedural changes can increase participation somewhat or effectively disenfranchise some of the population.