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Civic Engagement

BGA’s Civic Engagement team works to bridge the gap between people and their government.

We foster knowledge, opportunity and agency with independent projects, such as databases and digital tools, educational events and community building. We also coordinate with and amplify the work of BGA’s Policy team and Newsroom.

What the Gov

What the Gov: Is the Illinois Board of Elections Ready For Hackers in November?

The state diagnosed problems and got federal money to address them. But the election is just weeks away and the state is racing to scale cybersecurity programs statewide, especially for local bodies with the greatest need. It’s unclear whether they’ll get this done by Nov. 6.
Oct 2, 2018 4:30 PM
Podcast

John Conroy on the Death of Jon Burge: Chicago’s Sad Legacy of Police Torture

On this episode of Ready Set Gov we interview John Conroy, a journalist who's written extensively on Chicago PD, about the recent death of former CPD Commander Jon Burge.
Sep 20, 2018 5:15 PM
Backstory

Campaign Finance

Explaining the rules of giving to campaigns, how to look up specific campaign contributions and expenditures, and more.
August 7, 2018
Podcast

Digital Government in Illinois, Part 2: Can Illinois Be More Like Estonia?

Imagine paying your taxes with the click of a button, never having to wait in line at the DMV, and voting from the comfort of your own home. That's how Estonians do it. On this episode of Ready Set Gov, we talk to Anna Piperal, Managing Editor of e-Estonia, on all things digital government in Estonia.
Jul 24, 2018 8:00 AM
Civic Engagement

How BGA Took Its Story on Failing CHA Elevators Offline to Reach Seniors in Public Housing

We realized many seniors living in Chicago public housing might not ever see our story about the failing elevators in their buildings. So we brought the story to them.
Jul 11, 2018 6:00 AM
Podcast

Open Primaries with John Opdycke

On this episode of Ready Set Gov, we interview John Opdycke President of a New York nonprofit, Open Primaries. Illinois currently does not have open primaries, which rubs some voters the wrong way. John walks us through how Open Primaries can help voters elect officials that better reflect their views, rather than their party affiliations.
Jun 11, 2018 12:15 PM
Podcast

Public Pensions: The Crisis No One is Talking About with Laurence Msall

You've heard Illinois is in the midst of a public pension crisis, but do you know how we got here? Special guest Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, a nonpartisan government finance think tank, walks us through the history of the problem and what our government can do to dig Illinois out of its pension hole.
May 29, 2018 4:15 PM
Podcast

A Child's First 1,100 Days are Critical, with guest Geoff Nagle

On this episode of Ready Set Gov, we sit down with Geoff Nagle, President and CEO of the Erikson Institute, to talk about the critical importance of early childhood education, especially in the lives of kids who experience trauma and violence in their communities.
May 14, 2018 3:25 PM
Podcast

[SPECIAL EP] Sources, Secrets, and Storytellers with Daniel Ellsberg

This special episode of Ready Set Gov was recorded live at the 2018 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting, produced annually by the BGA. Andy Shaw interviewed renowned whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg on the City Winery stage about his historic decision to leak the "Pentagon Papers" and other issues revolving around secrecy, civil liberties and the constitution.
May 7, 2018 1:00 PM
Podcast

[SPECIAL EP] Redistricting: Mapping a Fairer Future for Illinois

On this special episode of Ready Set Gov, we talk with Jeff Raines and Andy Kang about an important upcoming opportunity for Illinoisans to speak out against partisan gerrymandering. Learn how you can participate in this historic turning point for our state.
Apr 25, 2018 1:50 PM