Shifting demographics. Downstate versus Chicago. Billionaires and bribery. Even veteran observers need a roadmap to track Illinois’ ever-changing political landscape. Melissa Mouritsen, Kent D. Redfield, and James D. Nowlan provide an up-to-date primer on Prairie State politics, government, and policies. Features include:

• Discussions of recent events like the 2015-2017 budget disaster, the response to COVID-19, and the fall of longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan;
• New chapters on corruption, social policies, and the political rules of the game;
• Perspectives on the nuts-and-bolts of campaign funding, the ways political actors acquire power or influence, and many other topics;
• Close examinations of complex issues like the state’s increased polarization and its ongoing fiscal recovery.

Fully revised and expanded, <i>Illinois Politics</i> blends detailed information with expert analysis to offer an essential resource for citizens, students, and public servants alike.

Melissa Mouritsen is an associate professor of political science at the College of DuPage and the coeditor of Twenty-First Century Chicago. Kent D. Redfield is emeritus professor of political science at University of Illinois Springfield and the author of Money Counts: How Dollars Dominate Illinois Politics and What We Can Do About It. James D. Nowlan writes the newspaper column “Understanding Illinois” for the Illinois Press Association. He is the author of Politics, the Starter Kit: How to Succeed in Politics and Government.

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part I: Politics

1. Illinois in Perspective
2. Power and Influence in Illinois Politics
3. Elections
4. Political Corruption

Part II: Institutions

1. Constitutions
2. The Legislature
3. The Executive
4. The Courts and Criminal Justice Policy
5. Local Government and the Intergovernmental Web

Part III: Policy

1. Budgeting, Taxing, and Spending in Illinois
2. Rules of the Game
3. Education
4. People Services
5. Buffeted by Change, Illinois Continues as Hub of the Midwest
Notes

 

Index