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.




Untangling Housing Affordability & Groundwater Regulation

Key Points

• To ensure long-term water supplies for current residents, the state has imposed limitations on some new housing subdivisions and other types of development.

• While the new limitations may increase the costs of new homes in some parts of the Greater Phoenix area, cities have a variety of strategies available to encourage lower cost development to mitigate those impacts.




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

Key Points

• Results of a new groundwater model show that all of the physically available groundwater in the Greater Phoenix area is fully allocated.


The covers of reports about the history of housing discrimination and legal barriers to affordable housing in Arizona.

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.


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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.


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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.




Bridging Success: An Evaluation of a Program for Foster Care Alumni

Arizona State University’s (ASU) Bridging Success program, launched in 2015, is a campus-based support program for students with a background in foster care, also known as Foster Care Alumni (FCA). The program is housed within ASU’s School of Social Work, which is part of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.




Arizona Town Hall: Mental Health, Substance Use, and Homelessness
Mental illness, substance use and homelessness impact people from all walks of life. The effects of these issues extend far beyond the individual — negatively affecting loved ones and threatening public health and safety. In Arizona in 2020, there were at least 11,000 people experiencing homelessness. Of those individuals, roughly 1,700 had a serious mental illness, and about 1,900 chronically used substances like drugs and alcohol.




Arizona Redistricting: A Perspective on the Process

This commentary focuses on the performance of the five-member Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC), which has had responsibility for undertaking the task of developing congressional and legislative districts in the state three times — in 2001, 2011 and 2021 — since the voters created it in 2000.




Survey: Statewide Perceptions of Independent Investigations of Officer-Involved Shootings
To help policymakers understand statewide perceptions of officer-involved shooting investigations, attitudes toward potential reforms, and support for funding of an independent investigatory agency, a multi-modal survey was conducted of Arizona residents.

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