State Reports                                                                     

The following report has been received by the Documents Unit, Illinois State Library, Springfield, and is usually available from public libraries in the state through interlibrary loan. Issuing agencies may have copies available.

The map accompanying the section on financing elections to the city council is broken down by zip codes and shows, for instance, that individuals in the 60633 zip code area contributed a total of $500 to $15,000; those in 60619 gave $15,001 to $30,000; 60649 gave $30,001 to $50,000; and people in 60617 contributed over $50,000. The text explains that some of the variation is due to the level of competition in certain areas, not just the level of wealth.

A moveable feast for political junkies

Metro Chicago Political Atlas — 1994, Chicago Urban League, Metro Chicago Information Center, and Northern Illinois University (1994); available from The Institute for Public Affairs, PAC 478, Sangamon State University, Springfield 62794-9243 ($20 plus $3.00 for postage and handling); 98 pp.

Countless anecdotes, journalistic essays and academic treatises have dealt with Chicago politics, past and present; an equal number of words have been expended in an effort to explain why the topic holds such fascination for so many. This volume will provide political junkies with facts and numbers to support the assertion that what happens in Chicago politics is in fact important — in numerous policy arenas, both in Illinois and in the country as a whole.

Following a brief introduction showing the city's political areas and population changes between 1980 and 1990, six sections deal with various aspects of Chicago politics. Most of the information is presented in the form of maps and tables. Topics covered include the political environment, election returns (in 1992 and 1994, as well as the gambling referendum in 1986), ward profiles, new political maps and campaign finance. A brief section at the end of the volume, entitled "Simulation Studies," seeks to explain why whites (a statistical minority in the city) have continued to dominate mayoral elections since 1978. The principal reason is low voter turnout among the city's African-American residents.