Raising Illinois

Politics: Corruption runs deep in the Land of Lincoln, where legislative efforts at reform have failed. A new approach aims to change hearts | Mark Bergin

Handout

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—Few cities in the Western world over the past century rival Chicago in backdoor deals and dishonest civic leaders. But the suburbs and rural areas throughout Illinois come close. The state's culture of corruption is pervasive, destructive, and very old.

The recent indictment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich for allegedly trying to sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat is hardly the first scandal to sully that statewide office. The previous governor, Republican George Ryan, now sits in a federal prison for his role in a widespread corruption ring that produced dozens of indictments and convictions. Before him, Democrat Daniel Walker left the office of Illinois governor in 1977 and promptly committed savings and loan fraud, for which he spent 18 months behind bars.