Illinois is one of the most corrupt states in the country. Between 2000 and 2020, its government officials squandered an estimated $10.5 billion in taxpayer funds. The comptroller of a small Illinois township committed one of the largest municipal frauds in American history, embezzling more than $53 million over the course of several decades. Only Louisiana has more federal corruption convictions per capita than the Prairie State.
Why is Illinois so corrupt? For one, its state nickname is deceptive: Illinois is a relatively urban state with a large public sector, with a culture of self-dealing in government that dates to the nineteenth century and big-city machine politics in Chicago.
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