Overview
Read on for some statistics and insights about the level of civic engagement, political engagement and a “state of the state” overview of Illinois.
Civic and Political Engagement
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service for 2018:
- 28.1% of residents volunteer, ranking them 38th among the 50 states and Washington, DC.
- 2,824,541 volunteers
- 206.5 million hours of service
- $4.9 billion worth of service contributed
Looking at political engagement specifically, according to this 2018 Wallethub.com study, Illinois ranks #18 politically engaged based on a weighted average across the following metrics:
- Percentage of Registered Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election
- Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2014 Midterm Elections
- Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election
- Change in Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Elections Compared with the 2012 Elections
- Total Political Contributions per Adult Population
- Civic Education Engagement, CIRCLE
- Voter Accessibility Policies, Ballotpedia
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Responsive Politics, Ballotpedia and Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE.
Women in Illinois Politics
As of 2018, there are 46 women legislators in the Illinois House of Representatives, and 17 in the Illinois State Senate – for a total of 63 out of 177 seats in both chambers. This equals 35.6% of the legislature (Source: NCSL).
See how many women serve in Illinois’s executive offices here.
Illinois ranks 13th in women’s equality in 2018 – based on workplace environment (pay, unemployment and entrepreneurship rate disparity), education environment (education levels and math and reading scores), and political empowerment (disparity in elected offices) (Source: Wallethub).
What color is Illinois?
Illinois has 20 electoral votes. According to 270towin, Illinois “has voted Democratic in the last seven elections. In 2016, Hillary Clinton easily beat Donald Trump 56% to 39%.”
State of the State
State Government Structure
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of Illinois, consisting of the Illinois House of Representatives, and the Illinois State Senate. There are 177 positions in the Illinois General Assembly: 59 in the Senate and 118 in the House. In order to avoid complete turnovers in Senate membership, under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, some senators are elected to two-year terms while others are elected to four-year terms. Senate districts are divided into three groups. One or two of these groups are elected every two years for either a two or four-year term. Each Senate member represents an average of 217,468 residents, as of the 2010 Census. Representatives in the House serve two-year terms, with no term limits. Each member represents an average of 108,734 residents, as of the 2010 Census (Ballotpedia).
After the 2018 elections, Illinois became Democratic state government trifecta, meaning that a single political party (in this case the Democratic party) holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house.
In the Illinois General Assembly, a bill becomes law after passing both houses with a majority vote – 60 votes in the House, 30 in the Senate – and receiving the Governor’s signature of approval.
Budget Process
Illinois operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:
- In September of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year, the governor sends budget instructions to state agencies.
- In October and November, agencies submit their budget requests to the governor.
- Agency hearings are held in November and December.
- Budget hearings with the public are held from February through May.
- On the third Wednesday in February, the governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Illinois State Legislature.
- The State Legislature passes a budget in May.
Illinois is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.
The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature must pass a balanced budget, and the budget must be balanced in order for the governor to sign it into law (Ballotpedia).
Business Climate
A 2018 CNBC study ranks Illinois #28 in terms of overall business climate:
Freedom
Illinois ranks #35 in Cato Institute’s 2018 Freedom in the 50 states. The overall freedom ranking is a combination of personal and economic freedoms
Additional Resources
- PEW Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis
- PEW Women in Leadership – see analysis of women in leadership on a national scale
- National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) Fiscal Survey of States
- Compare 50 – pick what stats you want to compare with what states here
- State Data Lab – compare a variety of factors among states here
- Freedom in the 50 States 2018 – Cato
- Tax Foundation facts and figures app is available for download
What You Can Do
As detailed above, Illinoisans have expansive potential for engaging in civic-minded and fiscally responsible activity. By forming Policy Circles across the state, women can lead the way in ensuring that policies are working and responding to individual needs at the local level.
Here’s what you can do:
- Click “It’s easy, start now” at www.thepolicycircle.org to start a circle in your area.
- Read our “Year of Conversation” for an overview of policy briefs on key issues affecting the country and your state.
- Connect with Illinois Policy Institute, your state think tank and best resource for state level information on key policy issues.
- Tell a friend or family member about The Policy Circle by sending them to www.thepolicycircle.org . Any woman who believes in the power of free markets to unleash human creativity can start a Policy Circle in her area.