Kent Redfield, Ph.D., Professor / Research Fellow
Kent Redfield is a professor of Political Studies at the University of Illinois - Springfield (UIS). He has served as a research fellow for the Institute for Legal, Legislative and Policy Studies, formerly the Institute for Legislative Studies since 1979, most recently as the interim director. The Institute is part of the Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS. Dr. Redfield also has an appointment in the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs. In addition, he is the Director of the Sunshine Project, a campaign finance research project funded by the Joyce Foundation.
He received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Utah and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Washington.
Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Illinois - Springfield in 1979, Dr. Redfield worked for four years as a member of the research/appropriations staff for the Speaker of the Illinois General Assembly.
Dr. Redfield teaches courses in Illinois politics, state politics, legislative politics, political campaigns, lobbying, and research design and methodology.
Dr. Redfield directed the Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program for 20 years before stepping down from the program in 1999.
He is a co-author of Lawmaking in Illinois and a contributor to the Almanac of Illinois Politics, which is now in its tenth edition.
Dr. Redfield has been engaged in research on the financing of political campaigns in Illinois and political ethics since 1991. The results of that research have been presented in numerous research reports, a series of articles in Illinois Issues, a 1994 book on financing legislative elections in Illinois, which is entitled Cash Clout and a 2001 book on the role of money in Illinois politics entitled Money Counts.
Since 1997, Dr. Redfield has been director of the Sunshine Project. This project focuses on the role of money in politics, particularly Illinois. Funding for the project from the Joyce Foundation has been renewed through December of 2007. The extensive databases and analysis of campaign finance in Illinois produced by the project can be accessed on the website of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, www.ilcampaign.org.