A great public university is built upon the curiosity and enthusiasm of its students and the knowledge and research of its faculty. It also is built upon its ability to continue serving those who have helped to establish its mission. 

State government in Illinois always has supported public higher education, particularly the University of Illinois.We place a high value on that support and constantly look for ways to return value to the state, to serve those who have helped establish our legacy. 

This report is one way we can do that. The Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois was chartered by the General Assembly in 1947 and has worked throughout its history to train leaders and to assist government and the policymaking process. The Institute, with locations in each of our three campus cities, is home to some of the finest researchers this state has to offer in areas of governance, public finance, health policy, race and public policy, and social policy. 

In the ensuing pages is the product of their research. What better way to assist those who must decide public policy than to provide nonpartisan review and analysis of the critical issues facing the state? Illinois faces some momentous decisions in the years ahead, and the information contained here can help ensure that those decisions are reached with knowledge of the best evidence and analysis at hand. 

The University of Illinois is the state’s most valuable asset, a dynamic example of the transforming power of public higher education in the lives of individuals and society. The Illinois Report 2008 illustrates one way in which this power can assist those who develop and implement the public policies that affect us all.