Main Strategies

Investigations
Through its investigative program, the BGA has developed strong ties with local and national media that expose government corruption on every level. Previous investigations have reclaimed improperly used funds ($1.5 million in the case of the Chicago Fest investigation) and changed the bidding process for major city projects (in the case of the Harold Washington Library). In 2000, ABC News 20/20 won the prestigious Peabody Award for its 1999 BGA-supported investigation of the “License-for-Bribes” scandal in Illinois.

Policy & Research
The goal of the BGA's policy and research program is to aid in the creation of model legislation and unbiased analysis of government initiatives (e.g. riverboat gambling). Current areas of research relate to the promotion of transparency, accountability and limits in state and local governments. The public policy program provides recommendations for improving current policies and legislation. BGA staff worked on the City of Chicago’s Ethics Ordinance, and more recently, on the transition team that drafted the ethics reform legislation proposed by Governor Rod Blagojevich in 2003. The most recent initiative, the BGA Integrity Index®, published in November 2002, established a baseline measurement of the relative strength of existing laws promoting state government integrity in each of the fifty states. It provides public interest groups, citizens and legislators both a reason and a resource for change. Since publication, the Index has been cited as a reason for reform by legislators in Alaska, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota. The BGA has completed its second edition of the Integrity Index, which will be available in Fall 2005. Future editions will enable a clearer assessment of the impact of reform efforts by tracking trends in enforcement and law.