Podcast

In the fourth installment of the BGA’s limited series podcast “The Madigan Rule,” host Justin Kaufmann looks into Michael J. Madigan’s political legacy featuring conversations with former Governors Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner, State Representative Kelly Cassidy (14th), Former State Representative Ken Dunkin (5th), State Representative La Shawn Ford (8th), State Representative Will Guzzardi (39th), Alaina Hampton, Dave McKinney, John Chase, Pat Brady, Ray Long and Amanda Vinicky.

History’s longest-serving statehouse speaker, Madigan will be remembered less for the policies he enacted than for the power he extracted. In this episode, we explore his political acumen and the […]

To understand Michael J. Madigan, you have to understand where he came from. In the first episode host Justin Kaufmann explores the 13th Ward and the Chicago Machine with local […]

If the 13th Ward on Chicago’s Southwest Side was Madigan’s political base, then Springfield was his political playground. In Springfield the machinery of state government grinds quietly, conveying wealth and power in equal measure. This episode explores how Madigan came to control the machinery of state government–and came to rule for half a century.

One of the biggest public corruption investigations in Illinois history continues. Madigan says he did nothing wrong, but he is out of politics and his political machine destroyed. We dive into the investigation, the resignations and the end of the Madigan era. Has the game changed, or do Springfield’s new power players still follow the Madigan Rule?

Give us 20 minutes and we’ll give you the past, present, and potential future of a crucial issue for the people of Illinois. From Rockford to Rogers Park, Centralia to Carbondale, our goal is to empower you with the best, nonpartisan, politics-free information so you can connect with your democracy with confidence. This podcast is a production of the BGA’s Civic Engagement