Research Guides: Political Science: Branches of Gov't

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Explore the three different branches of government at the local, state, and federal levels.

The American Presidency Project
An excellent source of presidential documentations. Hosted by the University of California-Santa Barbara.
Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders
"It is published to provide in one convenient reference source proclamations and Executive orders with general applicability and continuing effect."
Compilation of Presidential Documents
The Compilation of Presidential Documents collection consists of the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents and the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents which are the official publications of materials released by the White House Press Secretary.
Federal Register
Daily journal of the US Government
Presidential Libraries
Presidential Vetoes
A listing of bills and resolutions US presidents refused to sign into law (aka vetoes).
Public Papers of the Presidents
All about the papers and speeches made by US Presidents since President Truman (c.1945).
Public Papers of the Presidents | Search Listing
Search through these results!
US Presidents
A comprehensive listing of all past and present US presidents.
The White House
Official Page of the President of the United States

The Council of State Governments
"The nation’s largest nonpartisan organization serving all three branches of state elected and appointed officials."
Governing
State and local government news and analysis
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
"Represents the legislatures in the states, territories and commonwealths of the U.S." Also represents state legislatures when dealing with the federal government.
National Governors Association
A bipartisan organization of the nation’s governors—promoting visionary state leadership, sharing best practices and speaking with a collective voice on national policy.
State Agency Databases Project
A listing of databases available from each state government
State and Local Finance Initiative | Urban Institute
"The initiative equips policymakers, citizens, and the media with tools to understand and address the fiscal challenges and opportunities facing state and local governments."

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"The State and Local Finance Initiative provides current, reliable, and unbiased research, data, and analysis. The initiative integrates knowledge across policy domains and government levels to give decision makers the best possible information to navigate among competing options and understand tradeoffs."

Governing
State and local government news and analysis
CivicWell (formerly Local Government Commission)
Focuses on civic engagement with environmental, social and economic priorities.
National Association of Counties
Representation of county governments to Congress
National League of Cities
"An organization comprised of city, town and village leaders that are focused on improving the quality of life for their current and future constituents."
US Conference of Mayors
"Official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more."

US Congress
Congressional Budget Office
Since 1975, CBO has produced independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process. Each year, the agency’s economists and budget analysts produce dozens of reports and hundreds of cost estimates for proposed legislation.
Directory - US House of Representatives
Current listing of all members of the House.
Directory - US Senate
Current listing of all members of the Senate.
GovTrack
"An independent website tracking the status of legislation in the US Congress." Helps you become informed of what is going on in the government.
Report of the Secretary of the Senate
A semiannual report published by the US Senate
Statement of Disbursements | US House of Representatives
"A quarterly public report of all receipts and expenditures for U.S. House of Representatives Members, Committees, Leadership, Officers and Offices"
US Senate
US House of Representatives
Vote Smart
Learn how your representatives voted in Congress on various issues and how they compare to their campaigns.

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
"Represents the legislatures in the states, territories and commonwealths of the U.S." Also represents state legislatures when dealing with the federal government.
OpenStates
Discover politics in any state and discover your local legislators.

American Community Survey
"An ongoing survey that provides vital information on a yearly basis about our nation and its people"
County Business Patterns (CBP)
"An annual series that provides subnational economic data by industry. This series includes the number of establishments, employment during the week of March 12, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll."
My Congressional District
Look up demographic information about your congressional district.

Court Listener
"Court Listener is a free legal research website containing millions of legal opinions from federal and state courts."
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) | LII
Complete listing of the CFR.
Justia - Dockets and Filings
Search for Federal Cases, Dockets, and Filings from U.S. District Courts and U.S. Courts of Appeal
Legal Information Institute (LII)
Hosted by Cornell University, LII publishes electronic versions of core materials in numerous areas of law.
Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER)
"Provides electronic public access to federal court records"
The Supreme Court Database
A definitive source for researchers, students, journalists, and citizens interested in the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court Decisions (Legal Information Institute)
A listing of decisions / verdicts made by the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court is the highest tribunal in the nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States. The Court stands as the final arbiter of the law and guardian of constitutional liberties.
US Code | LII
A complete copy of the US Code.
US Constitution | LII
A complete copy of the US Constitution
US Courts
Main website for the US Federal Courts and District Courts