Policy Archives

Analysis, Policy

Three Ways To Improve Illinois’ Budget Process

by Danish Murtaza February 15, 2018November 10, 2022

Implementing any or all of these practices, experts say, might help put Illinois on better financial footing.

Analysis, Perspective, Policy

Doubek: Review These Questionnaires, Debates, Fact Checks Before You Vote

by Madeleine Doubek February 12, 2018November 10, 2022

Figuring out who to vote for can be hard. But there are plenty of tools available to assist you.

Analysis, Perspective, Policy

Shaw: Can Cell Phone Voting Be A Secure Election Reform?

by Andy Shaw February 9, 2018November 10, 2022

If casting a ballot could be as easy as downloading and using a secure app, it could be a key to vastly increasing anemic voter participation.

Analysis, Perspective, Policy

Leven: City Council Needs to Practice Patience When it Comes to Union Contracts

by Rachel L. Leven February 8, 2018November 10, 2022

When City Council gets used to ceding final control of the contract negotiations to the mayor’s office, it increases the risk of taxpayers and service recipients getting a bad deal.

Analysis, Policy

What’s in Chicago’s Newest Union Contracts? Lower Wage Increases, Higher Healthcare Costs

by Rachel L. Leven February 5, 2018November 10, 2022

The agreements with the Coalition of Unionized Public Employees (COUPE) are the first in a new generation of collective bargaining agreements for the City of Chicago.

Analysis, Perspective, Policy

Doubek: Who’s Assessing the Assessor? Voters Are, on Their Own

by Madeleine Doubek January 22, 2018November 10, 2022

Government doesn’t hit any closer to where we live than this.

Analysis, Perspective, Policy

Shaw: Police Shootings in Suburban Chicago Show ‘Massive Failure of Government’

by Andy Shaw January 19, 2018November 10, 2022

Several police shootings in suburban Cook County have led to lawsuits and settlements, but zero internal discipline. How could such reprehensible policing continue unabated and undisclosed for so long?

Analysis, Policy

Too Many School Districts In Illinois? What You Should Know About School Consolidation

by Danish Murtaza January 17, 2018November 10, 2022

With 852 separate districts, Illinois has the third most school districts in the nation, bested only by Texas and California, whose populations are more than double ours.