CHICAGO — University of Illinois Chicago professor Dick Simpson has lived a life in Chicago’s political and academic spheres for more than 50 years: 44th Ward alderman from 1971-1979; executive board member of the Illinois Political Science Association, a former congressional candidate, political consultant, author and has served on transition teams that advised elected officials such as former Mayors Jane Byrne and Harold Washington and is a campaign contributor to Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Simpson, an advocate for good government, has a latest work, “Democracy’s Rebirth: The View From Chicago,” that gives a picture of the systemic forces tearing America’s democracy apart. In it, Simpson uses Chicago as a micro lens to delve into macro, national problems such as money in politics, low voter participation, political corruption (how the racial, economic, and social inequalities dividing the nation play out in our neighborhoods and cities). The book offers more than two dozen recommendations for reform, challenging changes that will not be easy or quick. A few of Simpson’s suggestions:
— Expanding the electorate through nationwide automatic voter registration, expanded early and mail-in voting access, the eventual addition of online voting technology and a system of unbiased redistricting.
