Addressing Corruption: Enacting a Chicago City Constitution (Charter)

Chicago and Indianapolis are the only two major cities in the United States without a city charter. A city charter is much like a city’s own constitution. A city charter dictates the city’s checks and balance mechanisms. It can increase governmental transparency and accountability, assisting in combating municipal corruption.

Ed Bachrach and Austin Berg of the Illinois Policy Institute champion the idea of a City of Chicago charter. In their book “A New Chicago Way”, they argue that Chicago governance may be over due for a check on the balance of power between its mayor and city council. However, Chicago’s fifty-ward structure results in a city budget which is spread thin. Our Aldermen are often reduced to a constituent services function. This prioritization leaves conversations about the city’s overall system of government neglected. The Aldermen cannot function in their role as legislators.

At this meeting we will be joined by Bachrach and Berg for a discussion on the possibility of a Chicago City charter.