The Last Ward

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April 2025

How Stacy Davis Gates made the Chicago Teachers Union toxic
The union saw an unprecedented drop in public support during Gates' first term as president.
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Austin Berg
7
Brandon Johnson is encouraging corruption
"Ethics is about how we equitably distribute government in a way that everybody can feel proud of," the mayor said in response to a question about his…
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Austin Berg
1
How to double voter turnout in Chicago’s municipal elections
Chicago’s election timing is severely suppressing the vote.
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Austin Berg

March 2025

It’s a beautiful day to be a Chicagoan: Opening remarks at the Chicago Charter Symposium
On Monday, March 24, 2025, the Chicago Policy Center hosted the Chicago Charter Symposium at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law.
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Austin Berg
2
A dirty city: Police oversight in Chicago is a bureaucratic nightmare
Chicago is home to eight separate entities responsible for police accountability. Los Angeles has one. The results are clear.
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Austin Berg
3
Chicago’s mayor can pick the aldermen. That's a problem.
Chicago is the only big city in the nation where the mayor fills vacancies in City Council.
 • 
Austin Berg
1
This $830 million debt plan is Brandon Johnson’s parking meter deal
How Chicago’s governance structure, political culture, and a sympathetic City Council helped an unpopular mayor sell out the city’s future.
 • 
Austin Berg
5
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