Mission Statement

The Mission of the Institute for Legislative Studies is:

To generate and disseminate information about the Illinois General Assembly, U.S. state legislatures, and U.S. state public policy.
To promote public interest in and understanding of the legislative process in Illinois, other states and at the national level.
To enhance the quality of the legislative process in Illinois.
To promote the academic study of state legislatures and state politics.

We pursue this mission through a variety of activities:

State Politics and Policy Quarterly - The foremost political science journal in the field.
Almanac of Illinois Politics - The essential biennial reference book on the Illinois General Assembly and Illinois politics.
Lobbying Illinois: How You Can Make a Difference in Public Policy - A primer on how to lobby state state government in Illinois.
The Sunshine Project - A comprehensive study of campaign finance in Illinois funded by the Joyce Foundation.
Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program - Training top graduate students to work in the Illinois General Assembly and state government.
Lobbying and legislative process seminars - Held at UIS and around the state.
Academic and applied research - Published by ILS staff and faculty in books, monographs, and the leading political science journals in the world.