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Ideas Weren’T Enough: The Strategies Behind Paul Simon’S Run For President, 1987-88, Robert Hartley

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

Ideas. That word best describes the fifty-two years Paul Simon spent as a public person, journalist, politician, author, and head of a policy institute. His ideas flowed nonstop at the local community level, state legislature, and in Congress.

When Simon opened his 1987-88 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, he did what he always did: fed the public his ideas for solving the ills of the federal government and setting a national direction. As he stated in his announcement, “I dream of an America at work in a world at peace.” Straight stuff. But would voters outside familiar ground in …

Where Is Illinois Now And Where Is It Going?, Rob Paral

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

Granted statehood in 1818, Illinois is slightly over two centuries old. During that time, in approximately fifty-year segments, our state has embodied trends that defined our nation. The early 1880s brought westward expansion by European migrants and the taking of natives’ land. The second half of that century saw a population explosion and rapid urbanization. In the first part of the twentieth century, Illinois industrialization was essential to helping our nation win two world wars and establishing the United States as the pre-eminent world power.

Most recently, a new half-century period can be identified. One of profound social and economic …

The 2022 Mid-Term Elections In Illinois: Unfinished Business Or The Wave Of The Future?, John S. Jackson, John L. Foster

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

Part I of this paper provides a description of the Democratic and Republican Primaries in Illinois for the mid-term elections of 2022.

Part II then turns to the general election campaigns focusing on the governor’s race between incumbent Democrat J. B. Pritzker and his Republican challenger, State Senator Darren Bailey. The race for the U. S. Senate between the incumbent, Tammy Duckworth, and Kathy Salvi, and the state’s Constitutional Offices are also analyzed. The unit of analysis utilized is the county-level aggregate data voting returns. Part III deals with the aftermath of the November election with a focus on the …

Illinois’ First In The Nation Media Literacy Law Falls Short, Emily Cooper Pierce

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Legalization Of Recreational Cannabis In Illinois, Stephanie Chambers-Baltz

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

In 2019, the Illinois House passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act that legalized the recreational use of cannabis. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act became law in the state of Illinois as of January 1, 2020, making Illinois the first state to establish such a law via state legislation, as opposed to a ballot measure approved by voters. This law allows adults aged 21 and older to legally purchase cannabis for recreational purposes. This law has significant implications for social equity and for public health. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act was intentionally designed to address and repair some …

Pinball Wars: Slot Machines, Pinball Games, Racketeering, And Murder In Mid-Twentieth Century Rural Illinois, Benjamin Bradley

Research Papers

Pinball was seized upon by organized crime for its ability to pass as an amusement device rather than a gambling mechanism. Pinball inherited this role from slot machines, which were often disguised as novelty toys or vending machines to circumvent increasingly strict anti-gambling laws in early twentieth century America. Pinball uniquely filled the role as a gambling device because of its ability to appear as a game of skill and amusement rather than of chance and speculation.

In January of 1960, Bunice Tyner, a resident of Marion, Illinois was murdered in what the local press dubbed a pinball war. His …

Adapting To Remote Library Services During Covid-19., Lydia A. Howes, Lynne Ferrell, Geoffrey S. Pettys, Adam Roloff

Articles

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent Stay At Home order, the Southern Illinois University Medical Library utilized new technologies and implemented new virtual service models in order to improve internal communication, and to continue providing services and resources to patrons remotely. The changes happened quickly, and the librarians faced several challenges during this time, but things went smoothly overall and there were some considerable silver linings. Several of the newly adopted technologies, service models, and virtual resource offerings proved to be extremely effective and their use will continue beyond the duration of the pandemic.

The Climate Of Opinion In Illinois 2008 - 2019: Gridlock Broken?, John Jackson, Charles Leonard, Shiloh Leah Deitz

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

The current report is an extension of the longitudinal data report we provided in an earlier Simon Review based on the 2008 through 2016 polls (Jackson, Leonard, and Deitz, 2016). In major respects the current report is a revision and update to that original paper, continuing and revising our analysis of the political narrative and history in Illinois. That paper was subtitled: The Roots of Gridlock. The 2016 paper reflected the deep polarization and gridlock that had made Illinois a dysfunctional state at that point in its history. The current report extends the analysis by an additional three years, and …

Price Determinants Of Recreational Land In Illinois, Cameron Hupp

Research Papers

It’s no secret that Illinois farmland is extremely expensive and has been on a steady rise for the past several decades. The highly sought after features of many different pieces of Illinois farmland coupled with the favorable growing climate found in Illinois translates to advantageous yields and potential for substantial revenues for farmers and landowners. Although prices have remained relatively stagnant throughout the past few years, it can be inferred that the long-term trend of farmland value will continue its path trending upward. With this being said, the margin for profit will become even slimmer and the ag real estate …

Sexual Harassment In Illinois: Public Opinion And Legislative Action, Oluwaseyi Amosu

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

The last several years have brought sexual harassment in the public and private sector to the forefront of a national conversation. This paper addresses the issue of sexual harassment specifically within the Illinois public sector. First, to understand how Illinoisans view sexual harassment, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute conducted statewide polling. This endeavor asked respondents about their perceptions of how well the public understands sexual harassment, how likely people who engage in harassing behavior are to be held accountable, and whether or not the respondents would be likely to vote for a political candidate accused of sexual harassment. This …

The 2018 Race For Governor Of Illinois: Rauner Vs. Pritzker, John Jackson

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

The 2018 race for governor in Illinois was unique in the annuals of the state and nation. For the first time ever it featured two mega-rich candidates vying for a job that pays $177,412 per year. Between the candidates, Bruce Rauner, the incumbent Republican, and the challenger, J. B. Pritzker, the two campaign committees spent a combined total of $251.7 million dollars on the race and support for other allied candidates, making it the most expensive governor’s race in Illinois history. This race came close to surpassing the national record of Governor Jerry Brown vs. Meg Whitman in California in …

The Politics Of Public Budgeting In Illinois, John Jackson, John Foster

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

This paper is about taxing, revenue and public budgeting in Illinois. The concept of public budgeting includes both the revenues raised by government and the ways in which those revenues are spent on the functions and programs sponsored by governments. This paper focuses especially on spending, that is on how and where revenue is distributed in the state in the form of public services and programs. It provides relevant data on the statewide distribution patterns and especially the question of whether those expenditures of the taxpayers’ money disproportionately benefit one region over the other. This question has provoked a long …

Illinois As A World Provider Of Virtual Water And Advocate For Clean Water: How Does Illinois Fit Into The Global Water Crisis/Solution?, Kara Lawrence

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

Although politically Illinois has recently been plagued with an extensive budget crisis and stalemate on how to overcome its large deficits, Illinois as a state is fortunate in its exceptional natural geography which provides both abundant fresh water resources and fertile agricultural soils (Lant, 2005). As such, Illinois plays an important role in the global water crisis as a water supplier through its exports of crops which consume vast quantities of water. The state is a leading exporter of corn, soybeans, and swine, and through these commodities is supplying what many experts call “virtual water” to the world. Virtual water …

State Oversight And Local Government Savings: An Analysis Of Illinois County Fund Balance Politics, Lashonda Stewart, John Hamman, Brian Curtis Chapman

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

This paper assesses Illinois county government policies pertaining to the size, use, and replenishment of unreserved funds. As political forces push for reductions in taxes and in government itself, incentives for local governments to use less transparent means for managing finances increase. A better understanding of the impact which fund balance policies have on the amount of financial slack local governments keep on the one hand, and how counties use the funds on the other, is of increasing importance. This work expands on previous analyses of budgetary uncertainty and the possibility of using slack to stabilize service provision through times …

Increased Overwinter Mortalities Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Fawns During A Drought Year, Marie I. Tosa, Matthew Thomas Springer, Clayton Nielsen, Eric M. Schauber

Publications

Mortality rates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman, 1780)) fawns have been quantified throughout North America. Few studies, however, have assessed cause-specific mortality of fawns after the first 3 months of life or during a severe weather event. During 2010-2014, we captured and radiotracked 93 fawns in southern and central Illinois and recorded 18 mortality events. In order of importance, survival rates were affected by days since capture, year of drought, age at capture, week post-capture (1/0 indicator), and region. Estimated overwinter (fall through spring) survival rate (± SE) of fawns in both regions during 2010-14 was 0.83 ± …

Evaluating Farm Financial Performance Measures In Illinois, Ryan A. Bailey

Research Papers

RYAN A. BAILEY, for the Master of Science degree in AGRIBUSINESS ECONOMICS, presented on APRIL 18^th, 2017 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

TITLE: EVALUATING FARM FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES IN ILLINOIS

MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Jebaraj Asirvatham

The purpose of this paper is to conduct financial measure analysis specifically Return on Assets (ROA) and Asset Turnover Ratio (ATR) of the 102 counties throughout Illinois and give a better insight of how these farms are performing at the county level; the sample area consists of farms throughout the entire state of Illinois. However, data between counties throughout the state of Illinois …

Governor Rauner’S Turnaround Agenda From A Comparative State Policy Context, Marnie Leonard

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

The purpose of this research is to study Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda, which he initially unveiled in 2015 after taking office. His plan was meant to overhaul state government with goals that were largely focused on keeping businesses in Illinois and convincing new businesses to take root, but proposals like limiting union power and decreasing workers’ compensation costs for employers have kept him at odds with Democratic lawmakers like House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton. This has led to an unprecedented budget stalemate in the Capitol as neither side is willing to compromise. Now, after …

Does Landscape Connectivity Shape Local And Global Social Network Structure In White-Tailed Deer?, Erin L. Koen, Marie I. Tosa, Clayton K. Nielsen, Eric M. Schauber

Publications

Intraspecific social behavior can be influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. While much research has focused on how characteristics of individuals influence their roles in social networks, we were interested in the role that landscape structure plays in animal sociality at both individual (local) and population (global) levels. We used female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Illinois, USA, to investigate the potential effect of landscape on social network structure by weighting the edges of seasonal social networks with association rate (based on proximity inferred from GPS collar data). At the local level, we found that sociality among …

The Presidential Election In Illinois: 2016 Compared To 2012 And 2008., John Jackson

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

This paper describes and analyzes the 2016 general election results in Illinois and compares those results to the 2012 and 2008 presidential elections. The primary unit of analysis in this paper is the 102 counties in Illinois and the aggregate vote results at the state and county level. Those aggregate data voting returns are supplemented with statewide survey data taken from the Paul Simon Institute’s periodic polls which allows an individual voter level of analysis to add to the aggregate data.

The Illinois Veterans Treatment Court Mandate: From Concept To Success, John Adams, Jaye Hobart, Mark Rosenberg

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

Veteran Treatment Courts in Illinois - The VTC Mandate In Illinois, several VTCs already exist. These courts have seemingly been successful in achieving the outcomes that matter to veterans and communities. Because of the preliminary success of these courts, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 5003 (HB 5003) into law on August 14, 2016, which amends the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act of 2010 by providing that each judicial circuit shall—rather than may—implement a VTC by January of 2018 (Public Act 099-0807). In addition to this legislation, in November of 2015, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts …

Perspectives On The Illinois Healthcare Delivery System Challenges, Structural Issues And Opportunities For Reform, Linda Baker

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

As fourth year students in the program, students at SIU School of Medicine have enrolled in classes at the Institute and have spent a rotation studying public policy choices that impact the delivery of health care services and the profession itself. The choices made by these public entities will have ramifications for physicians, nurses, administrative support staff and most importantly, for patients and their families. Students have studied state healthcare policy formation up-close and have learned a great deal about the forces and factors that shape their fields of study. Common to all students’ findings and much of the literature …

Metapopulation Viability Of Swamp Rabbits In Southern Illinois: Potential Impacts Of Habitat Change, Christopher D. Robinson, Joanne C. Crawford, Lyann Corcoran, Eric M. Schauber, Clayton K. Nielsen

Publications

Swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) in southern Illinois exist as a metapopulation due to fragmentation of the bottomland hardwood forests in which they live. This fragmentation makes their persistence in Illinois uncertain. We used population viability analysis (PVA) to estimate the probability of persistence of the swamp rabbit metapopulation in Illinois, using a habitat suitability map we created and life history parameters drawn from the literature. We varied the parameters used in our PVA from 50% to 150% of the initial value to compare their effects on extinction risk and to direct future management and research. We tested the …

Asian Carp In The Diet Of River Otters In Illinois, Preston Feltrop, Clayton K. Nielsen, Eric M. Schauber

Publications

Populations of invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis), collectively known as “Asian carp,” are growing rapidly in Illinois and may make up a large fraction of available prey for river otters (Lontra canadensis) in larger waterbodies. Our goals were to assess the frequency of Asian carp in otter diets and compare the frequency of occurrence of prey groups (fish, crayfish, and amphibians) in otter diets between land cover types and seasons. We searched for Asian carp otoliths and pharyngeal teeth, as well as parts of other fishes, crayfish, and amphibians …

A Warm Bucket Of What? Assessing The Role Of Lieutenant Governor In Illinois, Sheila Simon

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

The office of lieutenant governor in Illinois has often been the subject of debate, particularly during budget preparation time. This essay examines the history of the office of lieutenant governor in other states and in Illinois. Changes in the process of selecting the lieutenant governor are described, along with the current duties of the office. Finally, the author recommends changes in law and practice which would make the office of greater value to the state.

Unsupervised, Ensnared, Relational, And Private: A Typology Of Illinois’ Corrupt Women, Ryan Ceresola

The Simon Review (Occasional Papers of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute)

Scholars, pundits, and citizens know Illinois is at the forefront of corruption, as reported in the popular fact that four out of the last eight governors of Illinois have spent time in federal prison. We chalk up corruption to officials misusing their public role for their own private good. However, when we talk about corruption, even when we use inclusive language, we see the actor as a man, as corruption occurring in “old-boys networks,” and in dark and hidden backrooms of Springfield and Chicago, full of kickbacks and cigar smoke. What is missing from that analysis is an examination of …

The Lack Of Public Policies Implemented In Illinois’ Special Education Certification Requirements That Directly Involve Educating Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Michelle Thies

Research Papers

With the growing number of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention must be paid to the educational instruction and educational setting these children are being provided. By looking at the special education certification requirements in addition to the general education requirements, it will help to show where public policies are falling short when educating this population of students. This paper attempts to answer these questions: Are there specific certification requirements in Illinois for special education teachers to teach students who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD)? If so, are these requirements being implemented in the classroom? If there …

An Evaluation Zequanox® Efficacy And Application Strategies For Targeted Control Of Zebra Mussels In Shallow-Water Habitats In Lakes, Gregory Whitledge, Megan M. Weber, Jessi Demartini, John Oldenburg, Dave Roberts, Carolyn Link, Sarahann M. Rackl, Neil P. Rude, Andrew J. Yung, Lindsey R. Bock, Devon C. Oliver

Publications

An evaluation of Zequanox® (a naturally derived biopesticide that is non-toxic to humans and other aquatic life and selectively kills dreissenid mussels) for controlling zebra mussel infestations in shallow-water habitats in lakes was conducted at Deep Quarry Lake in DuPage County, Illinois during summer 2012 and 2013. During the 2012 trial, three sets of paired 24-m² treatment and control sites were established within the lake, while a single 324-m² treatment site was established for the 2013 trial. Zequanox was applied to treatment plots, contained using PVC barrier curtains, and barriers were removed during the morning following application. Zebra mussel mortality …

Social Affiliation And Contact Patterns Among White-Tailed Deer In Disparate Landscapes: Implications For Disease Transmission, Eric M. Schauber, Clayton K. Nielsen, Lene Jung Kjaer, Charles W. Anderson, Daniel J. Storm

Publications

In social species, individuals contact members of the same group much more often than those of other groups, particularly for contacts that could directly transmit disease agents. This disparity in contact rates violates the assumptions of simple disease models, hinders disease spread between groups, and could decouple disease transmission from population density. Social behavior of white-tailed deer has important implications for the long-term dynamics and impact of diseases such as bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease (CWD), so expanding our understanding of their social system is important. White-tailed deer form matrilineal groups, which inhabit stable home ranges that overlap somewhat …

Simon Poll, Spring 2015 (State Wide), Paul Simon Public Policy Institute

Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Statewide Polls

The mission of the non-partisan Paul Simon Public Policy Institute polling is to provide citizens, policy-makers, and academic researchers with objective information about trends and issues facing society.

The 2014 Simon Poll interviewed 1,000 registered voters across Illinois.

The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. The margin for error will be larger for demographic, geographic and response subgroups.

Areas covered:

General outlook, approval of elected officials, Illinois budget, hydraulic fracturing, community development, veterans issues, media consumption, attitudes towards social groups, abortion and gay marriage. Demographic information is …

Conspecific Aggression By Beavers (Castor Canadensis) In The Sangamon River Basin In Central Illinois: Correlates With Habitat, Age, Sex And Season, Joanne C. Crawford, Robert D. Bluett, Eric M. Schauber

Publications

Conspecific aggression may play an important role in partitioning resources and maintaining territories among beavers (Castor canadensis), yet few studies have examined physical evidence of agonistic encounters. We trapped and examined pelts from 147 beavers harvested between 2006 and 2012 from the Sangamon River (n  =  96) and tributary streams (n  =  51) in central Illinois. We modeled the influence of sex, age class, season (predispersal or dispersal), and habitat (river or tributary stream) on the number of recent injuries caused by conspecifics. One-third (51/147) of beavers had ≥1 injury; of those, the median number of injuries was …