Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor received the Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award from the University of Illinois at a ceremony on May 18 in Washington, D.C. While serving on the Supreme Court from 1981-2006, Justice O'Connor (pictured left with Director Bob Rich) was known for her pragmatic, learned moderation.

Since her retirement from the Court, Justice O'Connor has focused her efforts on improving civics education across the country and on raising awareness of the importance of an independent, viable judiciary.

The Douglas Award was established in 1992 to honor the memory of Paul H. Douglas, the lawmaker from Illinois who became known as the "conscience of the Senate" during his three terms in Washington (1949-67). The award is presented annually to a public servant who has made a lasting contribution to ethical behavior in government. Learn more about the Douglas Award program.

Connecting Research and Practice

Health Economics and Health Policy Seminars

Open dialogue among scholars about new health policy research is central to progress in the field. The Health Economics and Health Policy Seminars, hosted by Robert Kaestner (right) sustain this dialogue, touching on wide-ranging subjects such as the relationship between tort reform and health insurance premiums, how social status affects heart disease, and water supply and sanitation in the Philippines. This year's seminars provided a rich understanding of the connections between science, social policy, and citizens' health.

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Illinois Family Impact Seminar

The Illinois Family Impact Seminar is an annual briefing for legislators and others about pressing family policy issues facing the state each legislative session. The seminar connects policymakers with the most up-to-date and cutting edge research on the topic in question each year. In April, IGPA examined options for promoting economic security for families dealing with the effects of recession, and prospects for government assistance. The seminar featured a panel discussion with three distinguished experts: Michael B. Katz, University of Pennsylvania; Sarah Fass, Columbia University; and Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Center for Law and Social Policy, based in Washington D.C.

Reducing Medical Errors: Is Full Disclosure the Answer?

The current adversarial medical malpractice system is viewed as inadequate by many, motivating a search for new approaches. Chief risk officers of two prominent health systems, including Timothy B. McDonald, Chief Risk Officer of the UIC Healthcare system (left), described their experience and lessons learned at the Reducing Medical Errors Conference. Two of the nation's leading scholars of the medical malpractice environment also discussed legal ramifications of full disclosure and the possibilities for reforming the medical liability system.

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Social and Health Policy Seminar

The Social and Health Policy Seminars share research on important policy issues related to children, families, and communities in Illinois and across the nation. This year's seminar series, hosted by the IGPA Social Policy program, covered topics including connections between stress and childhood obesity; factors of the increase in health care costs for the privately insured; and how development of social skills in adolescence may impact earning power in adulthood. Presenter Craig Gundersen, an expert in Agricultural and Consumer Economics (right), discussed the connections between stress and childhood obesity.

IGPA Research Conference

The lifeblood of a place such as IGPA is the interaction among the researchers, scientists, and staff who call it home. Each year, IGPA faculty members assemble to share their work with each other in a critical way. IGPA Research Conferences provide a forum for members of the IGPA community to present their work, have it challenged by other experts in the same field and to answer questions from others at IGPA about the research and its conclusions. In 2008-2009, IGPA also held a research conference that brought in a group of researchers from outside of IGPA to explore the mortgage crisis.

Fostering Dialogue

Fair Housing Conference

Although the Fair Housing Act was passed more that 40 years ago, integrated communities have yet to be actualized because informal yet recognizable segregation based on race and ethnicity continues. The Next 40 Years in Fair Housing: Developing an Agenda for Integration in the 21st Century was a conference intended to foster dialogue about strategies to realize Illinois' potential for vibrant, diverse communities. The conference produced the Integration Agenda, which provides tangible goals for advancing integration in the coming years. The Jane Addams Hull House Association and Oak Park Regional Housing Center co-sponsored the event. For more information, visit: http://www.integrationagenda.org/

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Race and the National Electorate: What 2008 Taught Us

Race came to the forefront of the 2008 presidential campaign, opening up dialogue about issues concerning race and the national electorate. IGPA partnered with the Illinois Alumni Club of Greater Washington, D.C., to discuss how issues of race were both influenced by and had influence on the 2008 presidential campaign. Panelists included IGPA faculty member Cedric Herring, Washington Post political correspondent Dan Balz, president of Coalition Services for the Carmen Group Victor Kamber, and President Emeritus of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Eddie Williams.

IGPA Brownbags

This series of informal lunches provided IGPA faculty opportunities to interact with scholars and explore policy research across all disciplines. From August to May, researchers and experts, such as Chicago City Clerk Miguel del Valle (left), met at the Urbana campus once a month to discuss a wide range of topics including, among others, the 2008 presidential campaign, the Land Act Grant and the modern research university, and media coverage of war in the media. Jim Kuklinski, IGPA faculty member and series coordinator, said the series has created "a place for top-notch scholars to present their research and receive helpful comments from others."

Springfield Policy Luncheon

IGPA brought together decision-makers and state government observers in the state capital to discuss policy issues. One such luncheon focused on the results of the 2008 election. Co-sponsored by the Center for State Policy and Leadership at Springfield, a panel led by former Governor and IGPA Distinguished Fellow Jim Edgar and Bethany Jaeger (right), statehouse bureau chief for Illinois Issues magazine, analyzed what Barack Obama's presidency might mean for Illinois, as well as how state and local election results will impact public policy. The discussion was moderated by IGPA Director Robert Rich.

Policy Research Seminar Series

IGPA creates a space to share cutting-edge research with the Policy Research Seminar Series. Bringing distinguished researchers from universities across Illinois and the nation to IGPA in Chicago, the series addressed a number of concerns affecting the public. From Professor Beth Richie's (African American Studies, UIC) discussion of the impact of public policy on violence against Black women, to Professor Thomas McDade's (Anthropology, Northwestern, left) examination of ecology and everyday life, the series engaged in rich dialogue about diverse policy concerns.

Engaging The Public

NEW Leadership Illinois Program

Young women from colleges across Illinois gathered in Chicago in June 2009 for the annual National Education for Women's Leadership Illinois program. The interactive program is designed to increase women's representation in all elements of public life, including elected office. IGPA worked with Conference of Women Legislators of the Illinois General Assembly (COWL), to challenge Illinois' brightest students to think critically and creatively about public policy.

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The IGPA Electoral Index

Throughout the 2008 election, IGPA analyzed public opinon poll data in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to create the IGPA Electoral Index. The data was applied to formulas designed to approximate the electoral vote totals. IGPA Senior Fellow Michael R. Cheney conducted the research with undergraduate student Crystal Olsen.

For the People: Election 2008

As the 2008 presidential election approached, WILL-TV and experts from IGPA provided a distinctly local look at the candidates' positions on energy and the economy. The October television series, For the People: Election 2008, also addressed whether Illinois needed a Constitutional Convention, a contentious ballot issue. The last program in the five-week series featured a pre-election roundtable discussion with former Gov. Jim Edgar, Kent Redfield, and Bob Rich (all of IGPA) and state Sen. Mike Frerichs to analyze the election, the issues, and potential impacts on Illinois citizens.

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Edgar Leadership Series

Former Illinois governor Jim Edgar, IGPA Distinguished Fellow, uses his experience and accomplishments to etonhance the education of university students by bringing state and national government leaders to campus for lively discussion. This year, Edgar spoke with former U.S. Representative (now Secretary of Transportation) Ray LaHood, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, Former Illinois Lieutenant Governor Corinne Wood, and Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Topics varied, but all discussions focused on current policy issues affecting Illinois citizens.

Douglas Education Lecture

Senator Richard G. Lugar, R-Indiana (right) is widely known as a leader who puts policy ahead of politics. Lugar presented the 2008 Paul H. Douglas Education Lecture in Urbana in November as recipient of the 2007 Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award. Senator Lugar addressed the close relationship in public service between ethical behavior and a willingness to embrace bipartisanship. He presented a political process capable of educating voters, changing minds, and creating new bipartisan norms that can guide public discourse for a generation or more.

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New Members Conference

The 22nd Biennial New Members' Conference was held in November 2008. The workshop is for newly elected members of the Illinois General Assembly, and included four sessions led by IGPA faculty. The sessions covered: energy and the environment; budget infrastructure, capital budget, pensions, and demographics; healthcare, including Medicaid; and the state economy. IGPA faculty, elected officials, and representatives from Illinois organizations presented data, analysis, and discussion orienting new members to research delving into the many important public policy challenges currently facing Illinois.

Media Activity

IGPA engages with local, state, and national media on a regular basis. Not only does IGPA hold press conferences and events, but faculty and fellows often provide expert commentary and interpretation about important current issues. During the 2008 presidential election, several IGPA faculty provided analysis for media outlets including the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and National Public Radio. A list of media activity is available in the Appendix of this document.

Responding to Challenges

Bazzani Lecture Series

Developing effective policies to meet the nation's energy needs is an increasing challenge as threats are posed by global climate change. IGPA brought together national experts to discuss ways to move forward at the Sixth Annual Craig S. Bazzani Lecture Series in October. Paul Portney, Dean of the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona; Christine Ervin, president of Christine Ervin/Company in Portland, Oregon and former president of the U.S. Green Building Council; and Chester S. Gardner, a University of Illinois scientist, (left to right) provided insight into the challenges that lie ahead, as well as potential solutions.

The Critical Issues Lectures

During the 2008 election, Americans were concerned with prospects for the future of health care. IGPA devotes much of its research efforts to understanding these critical issues, and so brought together leading researchers for discussion. Two nationally known experts on health care policy, M. Gregg Bloche and David Hyman, shared their views on the presidential candidates' platforms for health care in September.

Diversity in an Era of Economic Uncertainty Summit

Despite current economic challenges, diversity and inclusion are essential for new business opportunities. Leaders from business, government, and academia met in Chicago in May for interactive, open dialogue regarding the impact that economic volatility has on diversity initiatives. Participants also provided strategies for sustaining diversity and inclusion as a business imperative and best practices for advancing diversity and inclusion in corporate, government, and academic institutions.

The Economy Tour

The economic crisis is alarming - and perplexing - for the public and researchers alike. IGPA provided an opportunity for Illinois citizens to receive answers to their questions about their financial futures during The Economy Tour, a pair of forums in Chicago and Urbana with nationally known experts on the economy, tax policy and the financial markets. Robert Carroll of the Tax Foundation and Diane Lim Rogers of the Concord Coalition offered analysis of the current situation, proposals before Congress and prospects for the future. "These forums offer an opportunity to hear a helpful synopsis of the economic policy proposals contained in the major party platforms and on the recent economic situation embracing us all," said Robert F. Rich, director of IGPA. Knowledge is certainly the first step to finding a solution.

Property Tax Relief: A Tragedy of the Fiscal Commons?

The Property Tax Relief Seminar provided frank discussion about the effects of the patchwork of property tax relief strategies available to individuals and institutions in Cook County. These strategies - e.g., homestead exemptions, appeals, and the tax-exempt status of non-profit institutions - may simultaneously reduce property taxes for some while redistributing the burden to others. Scholars discussed the goals of tax relief strategies, their net effects on government entities, and how to make the practices more legible and equitable. The seminar was co-sponsored by Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.