Please note that my research focuses on international relations rather than American politics, so I am not as familiar with the many online resources related to U.S. government and politics. As a result, this page is probably missing some of the most useful resources in this area. I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions that better-informed users might have.
General U.S. Government Resources
Official Government Sites
- FedStats.gov (access to data from over 100 federal agencies, organized by data type so the user doesn't need to know which agency produced the needed data)
- FedWorld Information Network
- Government Printing Office
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
- Charters of Freedom (background, full text, and other resources related to the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights)
- Federal Register
- Statistical Abstract of the United States (see also Historical Statistics)
- U.S. Library of Congress
- USA.gov ("the U.S. government's official web portal")
Other Sites
- Center for Responsive Politics
- Policy.com ("the policy community online")
- Politics1.com ("The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Politics & Elections ... since 1997"; by Ron Gunzburger)
- U.S. Federal Government Resources on the Web (from the University of Michigan library)
- U.S. Government Resources - by Agency (from Northwestern University)
The Presidency
Official Government Sites
- The White House
- Records of the Executive Branch (from NARA)
Other Sites
- Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States (from Project Bartleby)
- Periodic Table of the Presidents (see also a different design)
- Presidents of the United States (from the Internet Public Library)
The Judiciary
Official Government Sites
Other Sites
- Cornell Law School's Supreme Court Resources
- Court TV's Supreme Court Coverage
- FindLaw's Supreme Court Resources
- Oyez: U.S. Supreme Court Media (Supreme Court case summaries, arguments, and multimedia resources; from Northwestern University)
Congress
Official Government Sites
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet (from the Library of Congress)
- Records of the Legislative Branch (from NARA)
Other Sites
- A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation (coverage of the U.S. Congress form 1774-1883; from the Library of Congress)
- Contacting the Congress
- The Hill ("The capitol newspaper")
- Roll Call ("The newspaper of Capitol Hill since 1955")
Government Agencies, Bureaus, and Departments
Cabinet-Level Departments
- Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense
- Department of Education
- Department of Energy
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Department of the Interior
- Department of Justice
- Department of Labor
- Department of State
- Department of Transportation
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of Veterans Affairs
Other Government Bureaus and Agencies
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Federal Reserve System - Board of Governors
- National Security Agency (NSA)
- Peace Corps
- U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)
- U.S. Trade Representative
Elections and Public Opinion
Official Government Sites
Other Sites
- American National Election Studies (ANES)
- Gallup Organization (the well-known polling organization provides access to a variety of topical polling data on its web site)
- Commission on Presidential Debates
- General Social Survey
- League of Women Voters
- Program on International Policy Attitudes (from the Center on Policy Attitudes (COPA) and the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM) at the University of Maryland)
- Project Vote Smart
State and Local Politics
- State and Local Government on the Net
- State, County, and City QuickFacts and State Rankings (geographic, demographic, and economic data; from the U.S. Census Bureau)
- USA Counties data (from the U.S. Census Bureau)
- State and Metropolitan Area Data Book and County and City Data Book (from the U.S. Census Bureau)
http://www.paulhensel.org/usgovt.html
Last updated: 3 January 2009
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Paul R. Hensel. All rights reserved.