Government of Chicago

The government of the City of Chicago, Illinois, United States is divided into executive and legislative branches.

[1] The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions and approves the city budget.

The Government of Cook County is primarily composed of the Board of Commissioners, other elected officials such as the Sheriff, State's Attorney, Treasurer, Board of Review, Clerk, Assessor, Recorder, Circuit Court judges and Circuit Court Clerk, as well as numerous other officers and entities.

In 2012, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Pat Gauen argued that "in the reality of Illinois politics, [Springfield] shares de facto capital status with Chicago.

"[16] A former director of the Southern Illinois University Paul Simon Institute for Public Affairs, Mike Lawrence, criticized state officials for spending so little time in Springfield since it estranged them from and devalued Illinois state employees in that city.

Chicago City Hall , shortly before construction was completed in 1911
Chicago and Chicago Public Schools unfunded pension liabilities
James R. Thompson Center , which has offices of Illinois officials. Pat Gauen, columnist of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch , argued that Chicago is " de facto " state co-capital with Springfield [ 15 ]