Political Science Subject Guide
U.S. Politics & Government
46 resources available
- Restricted to WMU users 
- Open Access
Almanac of American PoliticsProvides information about each electoral district in the U.S., brief biographies of each representative and senator, voting behavior, and a statistical snapshot of each district. Also includes key votes in Congress, results from special and interim elections, important committee changes, and election forecasts and results.
Almanac of Policy IssuesProvides comprehensive background information and links on major U.S. public policy issues, presenting all sides of an issue in an objective, journalistic format. The site is arranged under the broad topics of criminal justice, culture and society, economic issues, education, environment, government operations, health, social welfare, and foreign affairs and national security. Its editor is Patrick Lester, a policy analyst who has worked for a number of Washington, DC-based public policy organizations.
American Political Dictionary
JK 9 .P55 2002 (Ref) Rather than an alphabetic arrangement, this dictionary divides entries into 14 topical chapters, treating such subjects as the U.S. Constitution, civil liberties, the legislative, executive and judicial branches; foreign policy; and national defense. Includes over 1,200 terms.
American President: An Online Reference Resource
Hosted by the University of Virginia, this site is a "comprehensive collection of material about the U.S. Presidents and the history of the presidency. This web site features essays about each President and their lives before, during, and after their presidential terms. It additionally provides information about the First Lady and cabinet officials of each administration." (Site's home page).
Center for American Women and PoliticsHoused at Rutgers University, the mission of this Center is to promote greater understanding and knowledge about women's participation in politics and government and to enhance women's influence and leadership in public life.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)JK 416 .A3 (Ref)
The major codification of administrative law at the federal level. Includes all the general and permanent rules first published in the Federal Register by the Executive Department and agencies of the federal government. There are also a CFR index and finding aids for the set.
Congress.orgIn addition to quick links to members of both houses of Congress, this site provides easy access to current political issues, media links, and a keyword index to federal legislation.
Congressional Districts in the 1990s: A Portrait of America
JK 1341 .C66 1993 (Ref)
Arranged alphabetically by state, this book presents information on each Congressional district in the U.S., including an overview of the district, demographics, ancestry of residents, colleges, media, military installations, and major businesses and employers.
Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report JK 1 .C15 (Ref); online coverage available from 1983 to present.
This serial provides a digest, in magazine style, of Congressional action each week, including legislative action on major bills, voting record of individual members of Congress, and texts of important documents. This information is cumulated and summarized each year in the Congressional Quarterly Almanac (JK 1 .C66 Ref). More info
CongressLinkProvides information about the U.S. Congress--how it works, its members and leaders, and the public policies it produces. The site also hosts lesson plans and reference and historical materials related to congressional topics.
Cornell University Collection of Political AmericanaThis site contains thousands of artifacts relating to American political history, from ballots and slates, to songbooks, to buttons and souvenirs of all kinds. The collection belongs to Cornell University and includes items from 1789 through 1972.
Desk Reference on American Government
JK 274 .W449 2000 (Ref)
Presented in a question-and-answer format, this book provides a wealth of information about the complex organization that constitutes the U.S. government. It covers often-asked questions about the government in general, the presidency, Congress, campaigns, elections, and the Supreme Court.
Encyclopedia of American Political History
E 183 .E48 2001 (Ref)
Published by CQ Press, this one-volume work, containing over 240 articles, provides a starting place for ready answers about specific aspects of America's political history. The essays are on people and issues, with each entry including a bibliography and photographs.
Encyclopedia of American Political History: Studies of the Principal Movements and Ideas
E 183 .E5 1984 (Ref)
This 3-volume set provides readable and authoritative articles prepared by American scholars representing a broad range of ideological positions and historical viewpoints; each article includes a substantial annotated bibliography.
Encyclopedia of American Political Parties and Elections
JK 2261 .S218 2006 (Ref) A one-volume, A to Z list of topics and concepts related to American politics and elections, from absentee voting to the Know-Nothing Party to recounts. Each article includes references for further reading.
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution
KF 4548 .E53 2000 (Ref) With more than 2,000 articles, this 6-volume set covers the major political, legal, and historical aspects of the Constitution; important court decisions and public acts are also covered.
Encyclopedia of the American Left
HX 86 .E58 1998 (Ref) A comprehensive encyclopedia of the American Left-that segment of society that has sought fundamental changes in the economic, political, and cultural systems of the U.S. through alternative means. Most entries include sources for further reading.
Encyclopedia of the American Presidency
JK 511 .E53 1994 (Ref)
This 4-volume set includes over 1,000 articles explaining the origin, evolution, and constant unfolding of the American presidency, including articles on the First Ladies. Articles are signed and include bibliographical references for further reading.
Encyclopedia of the Republican Party
JK 2352 .E56 1997 (Ref) and JK 2352 .E56 1997 Supp (Ref)
In four volumes, and a 2002 supplement, this encyclopedia chronicles the evolution of the Republican Party from its origin in 1854 through the present day. Many of the articles include bibliographies, photographs, and other illustrations.
Encyclopedia of the United States Congress -- Facts on File
JK 1021 .D48 2007 (Ref)
This one-volume work, published by Facts on File, contains over 450 entries providing a wealth of information about the U.S. Congress. Topics range from the constitutional role of Congress to significant legislation to historical and current members. Many entries include references for additional reading.
Encyclopedia of the United States Congress
JK 1067 .E63 1995 (Ref)
This encyclopedia's objective is to be the definitive reference work on the history and character of the U.S. Congress. Its 4 volumes contain over 1,000 entries, all of which are signed, references for additional reading, and many illustrations and photographs.
Encyclopedia of Third Parties in America
JK 2261 .E474 2000 (Ref)
This 3-volume set covers all the major third parties and candidates in American history; the information is divided into four parts: chronological historical essays; 40 third-party maps; an alphabetic listing of third parties; and over 100 biographical sketches of candidates.
Foreign Relations of the United StatesCompiled by the Office of the Historian of the U.S. Department of State, this is an online version of the publication Foreign Relations of the United States, that provides an official documentary record of major US foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Online coverage is from 1945 to 1968.
Government Phone Book USA
JK 6 .G58x (Reference Desk Collection)
A comprehensive guide to federal, state, county, and municipal government offices in the United States, including names of officials, addresses, and telephone and FAX numbers.
GPO Access (Government Printing Office) GPO Access offers free searching and access to the full text of the Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, the Congressional Record, U.S. Public Laws, the Budget of the United States, GAO Reports, and other major U.S. government documents.
GPO Monthly Catalog (Government Printing Office) An index to US government publications, including reports, hearings, debates, records, judiciary materials, and documents issued by executive departments, such as the Defense, State, Labor, and the Office of the President. Online coverage from 1976 - present. Updated monthly.
Print: Z 1223 .A13 - .A18 (Documents, Ref.) 1895-1995
Historic U.S. Court Cases: An Encyclopedia
KF 385 .A4 J64 2001 (Ref) Arranged by broad topics such as Crime and Criminal Law, Government Organization, Power and Procedure, and Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation and Disability, this 2-volume set offers overviews of historic court cases in the United States. Many are Supreme Court cases, but not all. A subject, name and court case index in volume two is useful.
Landmark Decisions of the United States Supreme Court
KF 4549 .F56 2003 (Ref)
Includes over 1,000 of the U.S. Supreme Court's most important decisions since its establishment. Cases are summarized and arranged chronologically; includes a subject and case name index.
LexisNexis Congressional Provides access to information about the U S Congress, including: 1) publications from 1789-present (with some full text in the Historical Full Text file); 2) Congressional Information Service Legislative Histories for public laws from 1970-present; 3) testimony from congressional hearings; 4) access to bills; 5) the Congressional Record and Federal Register; and 6) information about members and committees.
LexisNexis Government Periodicals Index Indexes approximately 170 magazines and newsletters published by U.S. government agencies in a great variety of subjects with research value. Links to full text are provided when available. Coverage: 1988-present. Updated quarterly.
Major Acts of Congress
KF 154 .M35 2004 (Ref)
A 3-volume set presenting concise information on 262 significant pieces of legislation passed by the U.S. Congress from 1789 to 2003. Includes photographs, illustrations, a select bibliography and Internet resources.
National Journal Group's Policy Central Provides daily access to political and government issues of interest to researchers across the social sciences. It includes the following publicaions--National Journal Online, Congress Daily, Technology Daily, and The Hotline--along with reference sources such as the Almanac of American Politics, Ad Spotlight and Markup Reports and Bill Status.
Oxford Guide to the United States GovernmentJK 9 .P384 2001 (Waldo Reference) The articles in this compact, ready-reference volume are arranged alphabetically and present information on individuals, concepts, events, laws and decisions, powers, procedures and practices, terms, traditions, and issues in American government. Many of the essays provide bibliographical references for additional reading.
Oyez: U.S. Supreme Court MultimediaA multimedia site on the U.S. Supreme Court that contains biographical information about all of the justices, links to famous and significant cases by name and by topic, texts of decisions, and audio files of some of the arguments.
Political Reference Almanac
JK 6 .P64x (Ref Desk Coll)
This fact book provides information on all aspects of government, on all levels, although it focuses on the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government. It includes snapshot information about world governments and world organizations, and it also has photographs of U.S. officials and elected representatives.
Politics in America
JK 1012 .P64 (Ref Desk Coll)
Congressional Quarterly’s Politics in America provides information on members of the U.S. Congress and their districts. It contains in-depth profiles of every member as well as data on their constituencies, apportionment, and redistricting.
Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion
HN 90 .P8 P645 2005 (Ref)
This 2-volume set "provides an overview of not only American public opinion but also the tools and methods used to measure and study public opinion....The encyclopedia contains two types of entries: those devoted to the substance of public opinion, and those dealing with the means used to measure public opinion."--Preface.
PollingReport.comAn independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American public opinion. Offers polling results on a number of issues including elections, the state of the union, national security, and current events in the news.
Presidency A to Z
JK 511 .P775 2003 (Ref)
A comprehensive reference book that offers quick answers to most questions about the presidency and the individuals who have served in it. The entries are arranged alphabetically and are written in clear language. Includes many photographs.
Presidents of the United States (POTUS)
Part of the Internet Public Library, this site offers background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents; includes links to biographies, historical documents, audio and video files, and other presidential sites.
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
This online service makes available material that was compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. Each Public Papers volume contains the papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary during the specified time period, presented in chronological order. So far, only the public papers of President Clinton are available online. WMU Libraries has the print volumes of the Public Papers, beginning in 1929, and they are located on the second floor of Waldo Library under the call number JA 80 .A283.
U.S. Code
The United States Code is prepared and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives. This database contains the general and permanent laws of the United States.
U.S. Federal Judiciary Home PageIncludes links to U.S. Supreme Court, 13 U.S. Courts of Appeal and U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Armed Forces, 94 U.S. District Courts, U.S. Tax Court, Court of Federal Claims, Court of Veterans Appeals and the Court of International Trade.
U.S. House of Representatives Home PageProvides a House directory, along with links to members, committee, and leadership offices in the House. Also describes current legislation in the House this week, what bills are pending and under discussion, and roll call votes.
U.S. Senate Home PageHas links to senators, committees, committee hearing schedules, what has been happening on the floor, legislative activities, and Senate history.
White House Home PageIncludes links to the president and vice president, a virtual library, frequently requested federal services, information about tours, and a site just for kids.