Carsey School of Public Policy

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire is widely known for its research, policy education, and civic engagement work. The school publishes policy-relevant research briefs, offers four master's degree programs, and brings people together for thoughtful dialogue to address societal challenges. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a touchstone for our faculty, staff, and students as we strive to make our communities more equitable and sustainable.

Recent Publications and Upcoming Events

Announcing the Launch of the NH Early Care and Education Research Consortium

Learn about the NH Early Care and Education Research Consortium and check out these three publications released at the launch: Introduction to New Hampshire’s Child Care Sector, What Do New Hampshire Families Want For Child Care?, and Preschool Availability in New Hampshire Public Schools.
Social, Civic, and Institutional Trust: Necessary Conditions for a Pluralistic Democracy

In this perspectives brief, author Bruce Mallory discusses how trust in social, civic, and institutional structures is a necessary ingredient for a healthy democratic society. Read the brief.
From a Shorter Winter Season to More Storm Damage: New Hampshire Outdoor Recreation Providers Feel Climate Impacts Far More than Visitors

In this brief, the authors examine to what extent outdoor recreation providers and visitors in New Hampshire are impacted by annual climatic conditions representative of long-term trends, specifically, through the 2024–2028 New Hampshire Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Read the brief.
Population Gains Continue in New Hampshire, but the Pace Varies

In this brief, Carsey Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that New Hampshire’s population reached 1,402,054 on July 1, 2023, an increase of 24,500 residents since April 1, 2020, according to new Census Bureau estimates. Read the brief.
New Hampshire Employees Working in Small Firms Lack Access to Paid Family and Medical Leave

In total, the Paid Family and Medical Leave program has reached 14,712 workers or less than 3 percent of Granite State workers since it launched in January 2023. Read the brief.
“Hyperlocal” Career Pathway Programs in New Hampshire: Collaborating to Support Youth at the Secondary/Postsecondary Transition

In this report, author Jayson Seaman reports that cross-sector partnerships are playing a critical role in helping New Hampshire youth transition into postsecondary education and work. Read the report.
Recent Demographic Trends Have Implications for Rural Health Care

In this brief, Senior Demographer Kenneth Johnson reports that nonmetropolitan (rural) America gained population between April of 2020 and July of 2022. In the preceding decade, rural areas lost population, both because more people left rural areas than moved to them and because births just minimally exceeded deaths. Read the brief.
A Descriptive Study of Covid-Era Movers to the Northern Forest Region: “The perfect balance of things…a choice based on lifestyle, community, and values”

The Northern Forest—a 34-county swath of northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York—saw an increase in domestic migration during the pandemic. Who moved to the region, and why? Do they intend to stay? And what does that mean for those who already lived there? Read the brief.
Local Civic Health: A Guide to Building Community and Bridging Divides

This seven-part guide is designed to help people at the local level collect data to better understand what factors bring people together or push them apart. The information can help communities to thrive and strengthen democracy at the local level. Read the guide.

Michael Swack Reappointed to Federal Community Development Advisory Board

A photo of Michael Swack, a guest instructor with the CU CDFI practitioner certificate

September 13, 2024—The Carsey School of Public Policy is pleased to announce that Michael Swack, the Founding Director of Carsey’s Center for Impact Finance and Research Professor at UNH, has been reappointed by President Biden to the Community Development Advisory Board, a 15-person federal advisory committee to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). The function of the Advisory Board is to advise the CDFI Fund’s Director on the policies regarding the activities and programs of the CDFI Fund.

“I am pleased to congratulate and welcome this esteemed group of professionals who share the CDFI Fund’s vision of an America in which all people and communities have access to the investment capital and financial services they need to prosper,” said CDFI Fund Director Pravina Raghavan.

Carsey Director Stephen Bird commented, “The Carsey School is excited and proud of Michael Swack's reappointment to the CDFI Board. His superb expertise in this area is being appropriately recognized.” Ellen Lurie Hoffman, Carsey’s Center for Impact Finance Director, added, “Continuing to serve on the Advisory Board will enable Michael Swack to continue his role as a thought leader in community and economic development and further the mission of the Center for Impact Finance, which is to address income and wealth inequality and increase access to capital for underserved communities, through research, training, and practitioner driven solutions.”

Swack, who has served on the Advisory Board since September 2021, said, “I am honored to be reappointed to the Community Development Advisory Board for the next four years. It’s been a rewarding experience to be working with the CDFI Fund on policies and practices related to the CDFI Fund’s important work in helping provide access to capital to CDFIs—institutions that effectively invest directly in economically disadvantaged communities.”

Since its creation in 1994, the CFI Fund has awarded more than $7.4 billion to certified CDFIs, community development organizations, and financial institutions through the CDFI Program, the Bank Enterprise Awards Program, the Capital Magnet Fund, the Financial Education and Counseling Pilot Program, and the Native American CDFI Assistance Program. In addition, the CDFI Fund has allocated more than $76 billion in tax credit allocation authority to Community Development Entities through the New Markets Tax Credit Program and guaranteed nearly $2.5 billion in bonds through the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program. To learn more about the CDFI Fund and its programs, please visit the CDFI Fund’s website.

The Carsey School of Public Policy is nationally recognized for research, policy education, and bringing people together for thoughtful dialogue to address important societal challenges. To learn more about its research, academic programs, and centers, please visit the Carsey School of Public Policy’s website.

Upcoming Events

November

12

MUB Graduate School Information Tables

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Join us at the MUB Info tables to learn about graduate opportunities! Representatives from Paul College, College of Professional Studies Online (CPSO), Carsey School of Public Policy, College of Professional Studies (CPS), and the Graduate School will be at tables to share information about their progr a.m.s, including details on the Accelerated Master’s Progr a.m.. This is your chance to explore options, ask questions, and discover how UNH’s graduate progr a.m.s can help you advance...
November

12

UNH Public Service Master's Programs Virtual Info Session

5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., Ready to learn about funding your master's degree and applying your coursework? Join progr a.m. coordinator, Jolan Rivera, on Tuesday, November 12 at 5:30 PM for a short chat about our master's progr a.m.s!
November

13

Carsey Policy Hour: Voting Along the Rural–Urban Continuum

8 a.m. - 9 a.m., Battleground States and Post-Election DebriefJoin us as political and demographic experts, UNH Professor Dante Scala and Ken Johnson, explore some of the more nuanced aspects of the November 5 election and its outcomes. They will focus on the differences between urban and rural areas—nationally, in key battleground states, and in New H a.m.pshire. This special election edition of the Carsey Policy Hour will include an evaluation of key factors driving the outcome and critical d...