Governor Pat Quinn faces daunting problems as he settles into his new role in Illinois politics. The real size of Illinois’ public‐sector deficit is uncertain. Quinn’s two immediate predecessors left huge future obligations. Finding consensus regarding the priorities for addressing these issues has been difficult at best. Three issues the governor should consider so that short‐run solutions do not compromise the longer‐term economic development are: employment growth, the role of exports and some major demographic challenges.

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