Faith-based organizations (FBOs) are important actors in the American political system through their role as producers and distributors of publicly supported goods and services. Although public debate on the appropriate role of FBOs has been extensive and often quite heated, their impact on key policy issues has been difficult to assess accurately because of a lack of reliable data on what they do and how they do it.

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore is professor and dean of the Honors College at Michigan State University and is affiliated with MSU's Social Work, Political Science, and Global Urban Studies Programs. Her research and teaching interests and publications focus broadly on urban politics, public policy processes, and public services. She is associate editor of the Journal of Urban Affairs and editor-in-chief of the Red Cedar Undergraduate Research Journal. Richard C. Hula is professor and chair of the department of political science at Michigan State University. His research and teaching interests include environmental policy and urban politics. He has served as president of the Policy Studies Association and has been selected as a Distinguished Scholar Teacher by the University Maryland. Laura A. Reese is professor of political science and director of the Global Urban Studies Program (GUSP) at Michigan State University. Her research and teaching areas include urban politics and policy, economic development, and local governance in Canada and the United States. She has written several books and numerous articles in these areas and serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Urban Affairs.