Institute for Illinois Public Finance

The Institute for Illinois Public Finance promotes systematic research on public finance issues and provides technical assistance for state and local governments.

The Institute for Illinois Public Finance was created in 2018 to advance research and improve practice in the area of public finance in Illinois. Once a state known for its strong public finances and thriving economy, in recent years the state has experienced bouts of financial hardship.  Due in part to a budget impasse that saw no state budget passed in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (the fiscal year 2018 budget was also passed two months late) and in part due to a history of underfunding of pension systems and infrastructure investment at both the state and local government level, the state approaches the end of the 2010s in a fiscally perilous situation.

The Institute will produce non-partisan, unbiased, and high-quality academic and applied research on issues that impact Illinois public finance with a goal of improving the fiscal situation of the state’s governments. Read more about the activities of the Institute from the links on the left.

The major goals of the Institute for Illinois Public Finance (IIPF) are to:

1. Promote the systematic research by UIS faculty and staff of public finance issues in the state of Illinois and in its local governments;
2. Provide technical assistance for the state and local governments in Illinois in matters of public finance and related issues; and
3. Aid in the dissemination of high-quality, non-partisan research on applied public finance to interested stakeholder groups.

IIPF Faculty & Staff Activities

The faculty and staff of the Institute have been very active with academic research and community projects.