The Illinois Report 2009

The Illinois Report contributes analysis and discussion of the most critical issues facing Illinois. Published at the beginning of the spring General Assembly session, the report provides Illinois' political and civic leaders with the latest evidence-based research conducted by IGPA faculty and others. Experts in the felds of economic, political, and social policy addressed such pressing questions as:

• :: How might the recession affect Illinois?
• :: Can a preschool-through- grad school approach change education?
• :: How might the 2008 election change the landscape for future elections?

Answers to these questions presented analysis utilizing quantitative and qualitative data, comparisons to national and regional trends, and posed nonpartisan recommendations. The information presented aimed to provide leaders - lawmakers, educators, civic leaders, and organizations - with clear, credible guidance as a starting point for solving some of Illinois' most imperative challenges. As IGPA Director Robert Rich wrote in an introduction to the report, "Certainly, Illinois has faced few challenges greater than those it faces entering 2009. But within those challenges surely lie opportunities for the state to change its course. This is an important time to be a leader in Illinois."

White Paper on Government Reform

Written by Robert F. Rich, Kent D. Redfeld, James D. Nowlan, Christopher Z. Mooney, Richard J. Winkel Jr. and with an Epilogue by Jim Edgar, (left to right below), Challenges and Opportunities On the Road to Reform in Illinois was published by the General Assembly's Joint Committee on Government Reform. The White Paper covers several important topics, including:

• :: Designing a Campaign Finance System for Illinois
• :: Redistricting in Illinois: Options to Consider
• :: Direct Democracy Mechanisms
• :: Term Limits for Governors and State Legislators
• :: Federal Prosecution: Can It Alone Change Political Culture in Illinois?
• :: Ethics Reform

In the paper's introduction, Robert Rich explained, "We believe these issues are at the core of any reform discussion." The paper "examines the critical issues in each of these areas, what the empirical evidence demonstrates about 'best practices' and experiences from other states or jurisdictions, and the strengths and weaknesses of the policy options that might be considered in Illinois."

Report: The Economic Impact of the University of Illinois

The Economic Impact of the University of Illinois, a study conducted by IGPA economists Geofrey Hewings, Robert Resek and Darren Lubotsky, and research assistant Finley Edwards, looked at several factors to measure the impact the university has on the state of Illinois. These factors included:

• :: The direct and indirect impact of University- paid wages and salaries, materials and services purchased by the University, and capital spending
• :: The increase in earning power that higher education provides for students
• :: Increases to state and local tax revenue because of the increased income a U of I education
• :: The economic benefits of increased productivity
• :: A variety of nonmonetary benefits that higher education provides for students and society

The University of Illinois, with a student body of nearly 70,000 and more than 23,000 faculty and staf on its three campuses, is an engine that pumps more than $13 billion into the state's economy each year. It also indicated that the University is responsible, directly and indirectly, for more than 150,000 jobs. U of I alumni added more than $21 billion to the state's economic output in 2008 as their wages and salaries rippled through the economy. The report found that the U of I student body reaps about $13 billion in additional lifetime earnings, and that a University education creates nearly $1.3 billion in future tax revenue for the state each year. The state contributes about $726 million to the University, so there is a net gain of $535 million annually.

Policy Forum

Faculty research is highlighted in Policy Forum five times a year. Each IGPA program group produces one issue a year to strengthen the connection between academic research and the development and implementation of public policy. In 2009, Policy Forum included:

• :: Minimum Wages and Employment in Illinois by Elizabeth Prowers
• :: State Health Insurance Regulations: Implications for Illinois by Anthony T. Lo Sasso
• :: Does Environmental Protection Hurt Low-Income Families? by Don Fullerton and Daniel Karney
• :: Wall Street Weakly, or How and When Obama Won the Presidential Race by Brian J. Gaines

Illinois Economic Review

The Illinois Economic Review is produced by IGPA economist Geofrey J.D. Hewings and the Regional Economic Applications Laboratory. It is a monthly look at employment in Illinois and the Midwest. The review measures job growth, unemployment, and business activity, which provide an indication of economic activity for each of the eight metropolitan service areas in Illinois.

IGPA Website

A second redesign launched the IGPA website, www.igpa.uillinois.edu, into the next generation of online communication. With features such as a regularly updated "news" section, easily accessible analysis of public afairs issues, and descriptions of programs, research, and events, website visitors are only a click away from a wealth of information. IGPA also adopted several web 2.0 features, such as RSS feed tracking, Twitter, and Facebook. IGPA web communication is the "front door" to IGPA.

The University of Illinois Flash Index

The University of Illinois Flash Index, complied monthly by IGPA economist J. Fred Giertz, evaluates the condition of the U.S. economy by measuring whether the economy is growing or contracting. The index has become the most widely used monthly economic indicator in Illinois and is published by media across the state and on the IGPA website. While the Flash Index has only been in existence for about 10 years, it has been constructed with historic data using the same methodology going back to July 1981. The Flash Index is the most current measure of Illinois economic performance, and the economy's performance today is often the best guide available for how the economy will function in the near term.

Illinois Opinion Monitor

A public afairs survey is managed by Professors Brian Gaines and James Kuklinski, both of IGPA and the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The IOM features two prongs: periodic random-sample surveys of the adult population in Illinois (and occasionally, the nation); and periodic non-random-sample surveys of policy experts in Illinois.

The Fiscal Futures Project

A team of University of Illinois economists believes better information about the state's fiscal picture will lead to better choices by those who write and approve the state budget and perhaps show a way out of years of structural deficit. Professors Richard F. Dye (left) and David F. Merriman (below) worked with several civic and public interest groups to create a forecasting model of the Illinois budget that will allow the state to anticipate spending demands, revenue, and fiscal balance for years to come. IGPA is working with a diverse group of organizations to develop the project. These groups include the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Illinois Farm Bureau, Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Illinois Education Association, Chicago Metropolis 2020, and the Metropolitan Planning Council. The forecasting model will be used to produce data and reports that detail the implications of fiscal choices that are proposed by budget drafters and lawmakers.