Our state faces a host of critical challenges. Illinois is suffering the effects of the recession with the rest of the country, and like many states is battling the economic downturn while facing preexisting budget deficits. However, our state can be distinctive in developing strategies to take advantage of what opportunities are ahead. The fourth edition of The Illinois Report once again documents these challenges and offers strategies to confront them. Leading our state out of its troubles will require commitment and courage. We are at a crossroads in 2010, an election year and a year of recovery. What choices will our state make?

Energizing Illinois’ struggling economy must be a top priority. High unemployment numbers and low manufacturing and retail statistics make this clear. State government cannot do this work alone. Effective partnerships with the private sector and with higher education can help attract more federal dollars to the state. Moreover, the state must clearly define its comparative and competitive advantages, communicating them to the public both inside and outside of Illinois.

These efforts must begin by restoring the state’s credibility. Past ethical failings and persistent political squabbling have bred cynicism and mistrust. Progress was made with the enactment of recent ethics and campaign finance legislation, but more work remains to be done before public trust can be restored. Elected officials, educators, and corporate Illinois can take the next step by looking beyond changing laws and toward changing the culture that often puts power and influence ahead of trust and integrity. The Institute of Government and Public Affairs intends to play a major role in promoting deliberations on these issues.

Over the next few years the state will grapple with these and other economic, educational and health-care issues. Major agenda items include the redistricting process, the development of alternative energy solutions, and the changing of Illinois’ political culture. The Illinois Report details the precarious budget situation (the state’s bond rating—recently second lowest in the nation—and a structural deficit plague us), the rising unemployment rate (disproportionately affecting people of color), the uncertain impacts of federal health reform, the role and funding of public education, and the progress and ways forward in ending Illinois’ “culture of corruption”. A chapter explores Illinois’ waste and recycling programs while another, a first of its kind in the Illinois Report, examines agriculture policy.

We look at these issues in an evidence-based and nonpartisan manner, and it is our hope that these chapters will spur discussion and development of policy in Illinois. The Institute of Government and Public Affairs is committed to providing policymakers with the expertise, evidence-based research, and information they need to make the important decisions that are necessary to ensure our state’s future. We stand ready to provide a forum for discussions of the issues addressed here, along with others that face Illinois.