Legislative functions are granted to the General Assembly, a bicameral body consisting of the 118-member House of Representatives and the 59-member Senate.

[2] The six elected officers are: The government of Illinois has numerous departments, agencies, boards and commissions; however, the code departments, so called because they are established by the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, provide most of the state's services:[1][3] Former Lt.

Many state offices are in Springfield, and it is the regular meeting place of the Illinois General Assembly.

[8] All officers chosen in statewide elections are required to have at least one residence in Springfield, funded by the state government.

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.

"[9] 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.

[10] The administrative divisions of Illinois are the counties, townships, precincts, cities, towns, villages, and special-purpose districts.