The Illinois citizenry has an uphill battle when it comes to energizing and engaging the public so that a healthy democracy can ourish. Illinois' sordid political history dates back to the 19th Century and is punctuated by outrageous political scandals that taint our democracy: political machines that manipulate contracts and jobs for political support, corruption scandals at every level of government, and six governors indicted for criminal activity or political corruption either during or after being in office. The most recent event is the federal indictment and prosecution of former–Governor Rod Blagojevich on public corruption “pay to play” charges. In the summer of 2010, jurors returned a unanimous verdict on only one count. They were unable to agree on the remaining 23 charges. After the impeachment and removal of former–Governor Blagojevich, Governor Pat Quinn created the Illinois Reform Commission to identify government reforms in areas such as ethics, procurement, campaign finance, and open government. An assessment of the scal impact of political corruption was part of the discussion. A report titled, “The Depth of Corruption in Illinois: Anti–Corruption Report Number 2” from the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Political Science, states that the “corruption tax” for the Chicago and Illinois taxpayer was estimated at $500 million annually. The report indicates that the $500 million gure is derived from two avenues: testimony at Illinois Reform Commission hearings that about 5% of state government contracts are awarded to political cronies and campaign contributors, and comprehensive research by the University assessing the costs of major scandals over the last four decades. 1 In a time when Illinois' unemployment rate slightly exceeds the national average 2 and the state budget deficit is one of the worst in the nation, 3 Illinois residents simply cannot afford to be civically disengaged from Illinois' political system.

Our broken political system has resulted in Illinoisans developing a systemic distrust in government and a deep–seated concern about corruption and the role of money in politics. According to a 2008 Midwest Democracy Network survey funded by the Joyce Foundation about Midwesterners' attitudes towards government, a large majority of Illinois residents (77% overall) trusts government to do what is right “only some of the time.” 52% “only some of the time” trust government and 25% almost never trust government. Just two in ten (20%) trust government “most of the time” and only three in one hundred (3%) “almost always” trust state government to do what is right. For Illinoisans, “corruption in state government” and “the inuence of money in state politics” continue to be major concerns; nearly half (49%) say they are “extremely” concerned about corruption in state government, and almost the same number (46%) are “extremely” concerned about money in politics. 4

Our democracy is weak and Illinoisans face an environment of civic shut–out. There is no adequate training for the citizenry to learn in a practical manner what it means to be a “good citizen,” and few resources are available to teach people how to ex their civic muscles. The conspicuous absence of mandated civic education that is hands–on and teaches youth how to understand and navigate government creates an environment wherein people lack the confidence, skills, and capacity to affect government decision–making and to make their voices heard on issues important to them. Furthermore, local and state institutions are devoid of fundamental democratic protocols and rife with policies and practices that are antagonistic to citizen participation.

A healthy democracy requires a combination of a citizenry that has the capacity, resources, and confidence to effectively engage in the democratic process and government policies that value accessibility, transparency, and accountability. The release of the 2010 Civic Health Index is a prime opportunity to rebuild civic engagement through harnessing the public outrage over anti–democratic practices and scandals that has made Illinois politics material for late–night comedy shows as well as the public's optimism that our political system can be reformed.