Chicago’s many bureaucratic barriers to starting a business shield established businesses from competition and keep low-income entrepreneurs from getting ahead.

Sky-high debt and a meager rainy day fund make Illinois the second-least prepared state in the U.S. for its capacity to weather a recession.

by Emily Dietrich In page after page of Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand depicts her real life hero – the entrepreneur. After a Library of Congress survey revealed that readers of Atlas Shrugged rate the novel only second to the Bible as the most influential book in their lives, it’s no surprise that this way of thinking has taken root. Entrepreneurs...

by Sameer Warraich Last week, Crain’s Chicago Business reported the results of recent research on the manufacturing performance of all 50 states. The study, by Ball State’s Center for Business and Economic Research, gave each state a grade based on criteria including manufacturing and logistics health, human capital, cost of benefits, global position and diversification of industries,...

by Brian Costin A new study out by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University shows that Illinois ranks poorly when it comes to Freedom amongst the states. This study comprehensively ranks the American states on their public policies that affect individual freedoms in the economic, social, and personal spheres.   Here’s Illinois’s rankings in each of the categories. 27/50 regulatory policy...