Christopher Z. Mooney is a professor of political studies with a joint appointment in the Institute of Government and Public Affairs.

Mooney studies U.S. state politics and policy, with special focus on legislative decision making, morality policy, and legislative term limits.

He is the founding editor of State Politics and Policy Quarterly, the premier academic journal in its field and has published dozens of articles and books, including Lobbying Illinois - How You Can Make a Difference in Public Policy.

Prior to arriving at UIS in 1999, he taught at West Virginia University and the University of Essex in the United Kingdom