The Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) at the University of Illinois System is proud to announce the launch of its new Data Hub, a central resource for accessible, research-ready public policy data. The Data Hub goes live today with its inaugural project, Fiscal Futures, led by Professor David Merriman of the University of Illinois Chicago’s College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.
Fiscal Futures is a comprehensive, annually updated database of the State of Illinois budget. This unique resource brings together budget information from multiple sources, harmonizes and categorizes the data, and presents it in an accessible format for researchers, policymakers, journalists, and the public. The project includes both downloadable datasets and documentation files, along with an interactive dashboard on the IGPA website where users can visualize, manipulate, and explore the data. A core value of IGPA is to refine Illinois public policy information into clear, useful insights that help inform the public.
“Fiscal Futures has been more than ten years in the making, and we’re proud to finally share it through IGPA’s new Data Hub,” said Merriman. “Our goal is to make Illinois’ complex budget more transparent and understandable so that researchers, journalists, and policymakers can make better-informed decisions that serve the public interest.”
All data housed on the IGPA Data Hub will be publicly available, reinforcing IGPA’s commitment to access to high-quality public policy information. The Fiscal Futures dashboard includes customizable charts to help users better understand trends and patterns in state spending and revenue. Check out the Data Hub on the IGPA website.
Additional Data Hub projects are currently in development. These include a searchable, keyword-coded archive of past Illinois State of the State gubernatorial speeches, and a proof-of-concept database that captures and categorizes legislation introduced in the Illinois General Assembly over the past year.
“These forthcoming tools underscore IGPA’s mission to build timely, useful, and innovative resources for public engagement and scholarly inquiry,” said IGPA Senior Director Ben Superfine. “By making state data both understandable and accessible to the public, we aim to support informed policymaking and robust academic research.”
Since 1947, the Institute of Government and Public Affairs has served as a vital bridge between University of Illinois researchers and public decision-makers. As the University of Illinois System’s flagship public policy institute, IGPA connects evidence-based research with real-world policy to help build a stronger, fairer Illinois.
