Disciplines & Professions: Government

Web Sites

About.com's U.S. Government Info Directory
http://usgovinfo.about.com/

Focuses specifically on aspects of the United States government, with a feature on current issues of importance.

FedStats
http://search.fedstats.gov

This site provides easy access to the full range of statistics and information of interest to the public that is produced by seventy United States Federal Government agencies.

FedWorld
http://www.fedworld.gov/

A program of the U.S. Department of Commerce, this site disseminates government and business information made available by the federal government. Enables you to search for U.S. Government reports and Web sites.

FirstGov
http://www.firstgov.gov

The official U.S. gateway to all government information. Includes a search tool and directory.

Open Directory's Government Directory
http://dmoz.org/Society/Government/

This site allows you to search global governments from an extensive list of countries around the world. A main menu has links to categories such as central banks, embassies and consulates, government documents, and government-related organizations.

SearchGov.com
http://www.searchgov.com/

Exclusive to the United States. Categories allow you to browse by executive agency, independent agency, or state and local government.

Yahoo!'s Government Directory
http://dir.yahoo.com/Government/

Can search by other countries, although most of the sites concern the U.S. government. Includes news and media, law, politics, student government, and civic participation sections.

Databases

Congressional Universe (Lexis-Nexis)

This database includes congressional publications, records of congressional hearings, information about committees and members, and information on specific bills and laws. Covers sources from 1970 to the present.

GPO Monthly Catalog (U.S. Government Printing Office, available through OCLC FirstSearch and SilverPlatter)

Sources include government-issued reports, studies, fact sheets, maps, handbooks, and more. Also includes records of Congressional hearings on bills and laws. Covers 1976 to the present.

PAIS International (OCLC Public Affairs Information Service, available through OCLC FirstSearch, Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, and SilverPlatter)

Over 400,000 entries including books, periodicals, reports, and government publications. Spans over 3,000 sources from 1972 to the present.

Print Resources

Derbyshire, J. Denis, and Ian Derbyshire. Encyclopedia of World Political Systems. 2 vols. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2000.

Provides historical information on, and explanation of features in, governments around the world. Organized geographically and alphabetically. Provides suggestions for further reading and a cumulative index.

Encyclopedia of American Government. 4 vols. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem, 1998.

A list of alphabetical articles on all aspects of the United States government. Entries include a bibliography. Volume 4 includes a glossary, a cumulative index, and a general bibliography.

International Political Science Abstracts. Paris: International Political Science Organization, 1951-.

Includes bibliographical information and abstracts on journal articles in the field. Organized by topic and alphabetically by author. Provides a subject index.

Kurian, George Thomas, ed. A Historical Guide to the U.S. Government. New York: Oxford UP, 1998.

Entries appear alphabetically and cover the history of the American government. Most entries include bibliographic references. A general index is provided.

Kurian, George Thomas, ed. World Encyclopedia of Parliaments and Legislatures. 2 vols. Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly, 1998.

Focuses specifically on the state of parliamentary democracy around the world. Organized alphabetically by country. Each entry includes a bibliography. An index is provided in each volume.

Levy, Leonard W., and Kenneth L. Karst, eds. Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. 2nd ed. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2000.

Alphabetical listing of articles related specifically to the Constitution. Covers related court cases. Includes a glossary, case, name, and subject indices.

Magill, Frank N., ed. Survey of Social Science: Government and Politics Series. 5 vols. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem, 1995.

Designed for general readers. More than 300 articles are organized alphabetically. Each includes an annotated bibliography and cross-references.

Shafritz, Jay M. The HarperCollins Dictionary of American Government and Politics. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

Provides definitions for commonly used terms and concepts in American government. Entries are listed alphabetically.