Illinois Government Research no. 38 1975: The Department of Local Government Affairs

A few years ago, during the heyday of the urban crisis, the role of the state in urban affairs was a hot subject for debate. After years of being ignored, state government, the invisible partner in the federal system, suddenly became the candidate for a new and more meaningful role. One result of this new-found interest ??? plus the availability of federal funds ??? was the creation around the country of state departments of local or urban affairs. In Illinois, legislation brought into life the Department of Local Government Affairs. The story of the department begins in 1968 when the initial studies were made. In this paper we will examine the creation and the first three years of the department. During this period the legislation for the agency was drawn up and passed; the department set up operations and designed several significant programs. We will focus on the strategies behind the creation of the department and the thrust of its early programs. At the end of the paper we will summarize some of the major issues associated with the development of such agencies in state government.published or submitted for publicatio