F&M Library: GOV 100

GOV 100: American Government

I. REFERENCE SOURCES

Encyclopedia of the American Legislative System (3 vols.): Ref. Balcony JF 501 .E53 1994
Congressional Quarterly Almanac (CQ): Ref. Balcony JK 1 .C663 1961 - 2004
also available online. Provides a summary of legislative activity in Congress for a given year. Each volume begins with an overview of the particular congress, with the major accomplishments highlighted. The following chapters discuss the debate and passage of legislation in 9 broad areas (e.g., economy, defense, foreign policy, appropriations). Roll call charts for the bills are included, as are voting studies, presidential messages, and public laws.
Encyclopedia of Federal Agencies and Commissions: Ref. Balcony JK 9 .H536 2004
Brief profiles, organized mostly by Cabinet department.
The Oxford Guide to the United States Government: Ref. Balcony JK 9 .P384 2001
A comprehensive dictionary of names, topics, events, laws, cases, etc.
United States Government Manual, 2007-2008: Ref. Desk JK 421 .A3 2007-08
The official directory of the U. S. Government. Also available on GPO Access.
Encyclopedia of the American Presidency (4 vols.): Ref. Balcony JK 511 .E53 1994
Congressional Directory, 2005-2006: 109th Congress: Ref. Balcony JK 1011 2005-06
Also available on GPO Access.
Congressional Pictorial Directory: 109th Congress: Ref. Balcony JK 1011 .A32
Also available on GPO Access.
Almanac of American Politics 2008: Ref. Balcony JK 1012 .A44 2008 (older volumes in the stacks)
Provides a detailed look at members of Congress and their districts; includes voting records and election results.
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to Congress, 5th Ed. (2 vols.): Ref. Balcony JK 1021 .C565 2000
Encyclopedia coverage of the work of Congress.
Congress and the Nation, 2001-2004: Politics and Policy in the 107th and 108th Congresses: Ref. Balcony JK 1021 .C6 Vol. 11 (with 10 previous volumes)
Detailed summary and analysis of the work of specific congresses.
Congress A to Z, 4th Ed.: Ref. Balcony JK 1021 .C554 2003
A good dictionary of terms and concepts.
Encyclopedia of the United States Congress (4 vols.): Ref. Balcony JK 1067 .E63 1995
America Votes (27 vols., so far): Ref. Balcony JK 1967 .A8
Election returns for president, congress, and governor, arranged by state; published every 2 years.
Guide to U. S. Elections (2 vols.): Ref. Balcony JK 1967 .G85 2005
Almanac of Federal PACs: Ref. Balcony JK 1991 .A744 2008-09
Guide to Political Campaigns in America: Ref. Balcony JK 2265 .G84 2005
The Book of the States (annual): Ref. Balcony JK 2403 .B6 2006
A directory of state government officials and activities.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, 2nd Ed. (6 vols.): Ref. Balcony KF 4548 .E53 2000
Guide to the U. S. Supreme Court, 4th Ed. (2 vols.): Ref. Balcony KF 8742 .W567 2004

II. BILLS, LAWS, HEARINGS, CASES, AND SPEECHES

Congressional Bills: Bills from 1993 to the present are available on GPO Access.
United States Statutes at Large: Ref. Balcony KF 50 .U52 (1893 - )
This is the first permanent form of federal laws. One or more volumes are compiled for each legislative session. Recent laws are issued in "slip" format, arranged by Public Law number. Public Laws from 1995 to the present are available on GPO Access.
United States Code: Ref. Balcony KF 62 1992 .A2
This is the official codification of all federal laws, divided into 50 subject areas (or titles). Specific subject indexing is included, as well as a listing of the laws by popular names. Also available on GPO Access.
Code of Federal Regulations: Ref. Balcony KF 70 .A3
This is the official codification of all federal regulations divided into 50 subject areas (or titles). Also available on GPO Access.
Congressional Committee Hearings: U.S. Doc. Y4 ....
Printed transcripts of hearings before House and Senate committees on a variety of topics. Recent hearings are also available online through GPO Access.
Congressional Record: U.S. Doc. X/A ....(1921 - present in paper; 1873-1921 on microfilm
Daily transcripts of speeches and remarks delivered on the floor of the House and Senate. The CR is also available online, from 1994 to the present, through GPO Access.
United States Reports (546 vols., so far): Ref. Balcony JK 1561 .U5
The official compilation of U. S. Supreme Court opinions. Recent opinions are available on the Supreme Court's web page.

III. ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

GPO Access: A service of the US Government Printing Office and the Superintendent of Documents, this provides access to a wealth of current government information. It includes online access to Presidential documents, public laws, Supreme Court opinions, and federal regulations.
Thomas (Library of Congress): The Library of Congress' electronic access to legislative information: bills, public laws, and committees.
US Supreme Court Web Site: Provides electronic access to recent Court opinions and information about the workings of the Court.
Law Library of Congress: Provides access to court cases, legal information, and legislative resources - from the Library of Congress.
CQ Almanac: An annual overview and analysis of congressional activity. See the description above, in the first section of the class guide. Coverage is from 1945 through 2006.
CQ Weekly Reports: This publication updates the CQ Almanac with a weekly reporting and analysis of congressional activity. Provides text and summaries of major legislation. This is the best source for tracking the progress of a bill in congress and contains charts for "Bills to Watch" and "Status of Appropriations").
CQ's Politics in America: Similar to the Almanac of American Politics, with slightly more analysis. The volumes from 2000 to 2008 can be searched here.
Lexis-Nexis: Connections to full-text newspaper articles (including the New York Times), business information, and legal resources.
Congressional Universe: Access to publications of the US Congress - indexing, abstracting, and some full-text of committee hearings, reports, bills, and public laws.
Social Sciences Full Text: Indexes and abstracts over 400 English-language periodicals in all areas of the social sciences, including politics and economics.
PAIS International (Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin): Comprehensive subject index to periodical articles, books, government publications, and reports relating to economic and social conditions, public administration and global relations. Coverage is from 1972 to the present; updated monthly. An archival database, covering 1915-1976, is also available.
Catalog of Government Publications: An index of all federal government publications from 1976 to the present.

Last updated: 9/8/08 tk, contact Tom Karel for assistance - 291-3845.