Guide to Government
Web sites:
Constitution | Elections, Voting, Candidates, Who are My Representatives?
City & County Government | State Government | Texas
United States (including Tax Guides)
International | Immigration | Recommended Web Sites
Books:
Suggested Subjects Headings | Recommended Reference Books
Course-Related Web sites
- Challenge of Democracy Study Guide
From this web site, click the PULL_DOWN MENU, located in the blue sidebar, to select a chapter. Once you've selected a chapter, click the link (below the list of chapters, in the blue sidebar) for PREPARE FOR CLASS. The next page will display a link to the STUDENT STUDY GUIDE (in the middle of the page). - Practicing Texas Politics Study Guide
Databases
- Opposing Viewpoints
List of suggested hot topics! Includes e-books, pros and cons, news, magazines, even images! Statistics tab includes charts and graphs. - Student Research Center (Tutorial)
Magazines, news, TV/radio transcripts, pictures, biographies, and e-books. - SIRS Researcher (Tutorial)
List of suggested topics, pros and cons, and country reports (link on the right side). Make sure to click on KEYWORD SEARCH. Includes lots of good images, charts and graphs. - CQ Researcher (Tutorial)
List of suggested "hot topics", images, in-depth, historical and current. Covers issues before Congress. - CQ Weekly Online
What's going on in Congress, background information on hot topics being discussed, and how each member votes. - International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (ebook)
- American History Online Tutorial
Includes sections out of books, along with primary documents, such as Congressional acts. Searchable by typing in your topic or by clicking a broad topic displayed below the search box. Includes information about events and people involved in American history, primary sources, government agency information, timelines, images, videos, maps, charts and more! - Current Issues
Hot topics in the news, offering both pros and cons. - Pro & Con Online (issues before Congress)
- Academic Search Complete
Articles from over 4,000 newspapers and magazines.
TIP: click the PULL DOWN MENU to add: Newspaper Source, Business Source, CINAHL, Regional Business News, and more - allowing you to search multiple databases simultaneously! - eLibrary Curriculum (Tutorial)
One of the best sources for images, npr, news and tv transcripts, and e-books. - U. S. Government Online
Search engine to news articles and e-book chapters relevant to government - historical and current issues. Includes landmark court cases, justice biographies, federal agencies, Congress & its members, and basic information on how the government operates. Includes biographies of Supreme Court justices, Presidents, Vice Presidents, and First Ladies. Includes organization charts for each President's Cabinet. - CultureGrams (Tutorial)
Country and cultural information - very comprehensive. - Statesman's Yearbook Online (ebook)
Comprehensive statistics and basic country information. - LexisNexis Academic (Basic Tutorial)
(Searching Tips)
One of the most comprehensive news services, along with links to laws, codes, law reviews and court cases. Includes articles from: news wires (Associated Press, PR News wire, Business Wire, Market wire, UPI), NPR, New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Washington Times, Sunday London Times, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Dallas Observer and thousands of other online/in-print sources. - Federal Register
Newspapers:
- InfoTrac Newspapers
Includes articles from: Dallas Morning News, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Austin American Statesman, Houston Chronicle, International Herald Tribune, New York Times and The Guardian (London, England). - Newspaper Source
Includes articles from: Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, Washington Post. Includes transcripts from radio/TV news shows, such as All Things Considered, 48 Hours, Face the Nation, and 60 Minutes. - Dallas Morning News
- New York Times/Wall Street Journal
Check the Periodicals Guide to insure that the Library subscribes to the print journal you need. Request print copies of journals at the Circulation Counter.
-- END OF DATABASES --
Reommended Web Sites
- USA.gov (First Gov Gateway: Search Gateway to U. S. Government Information)
- Political Information & News Search Engine
Links to over 4,000 web sites on: campaigns, elections, commentary, government, grassroots, issues, parties, research tools, and today in Congress. - NationMaster
Information including facts, statistics, and comparisons of countries around the world. Information gathered from CIA FactBook, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF and more. - Best Information on the Net: Government Links
- Education Index: Political Science
- WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources
- Yahoo: Politics
- Globalization 101
Impact of major issues around the world. Includes news analysis and issue briefs. Topics include: Darfur, food safety, HIV...
Political News
- Brookings Institution
- Common Cause
- Campaigns and Elections
- CNN Political News & Congressional Votewatch
- Drudge Report
- FactCheck
- Foreign Policy In Focus
- Free Lunch
Links to government statistics and demographic information on a variety of topics: demographics, international trade, employment, crime statistics, consumer purchasing, migration, household purchasing, government spending, corporate spending, personal income, corporate income, real estate sales... - Open Secrets
- Politics1
- Public Agenda
- Tom Paine (Common Sense)
- Interviews, commentary, and critiques of political news.
City & County Government
Direct links to:
- City of Dallas
- City of Irving
- City of Mesquite
- City of Plano
- City of Richardson
- Dallas County
- Dallas County Elections
- Dallas ISD
Links to additional information:
- Political Parties
Search engine and directory to government services and information. Includes links for kids, consumer fraud, health, taxes... Includes links to state and local governments, with links to a variety of facts/statistics. - Counties in the U.S.: Statistics, Census Data...
- E-Podunk: Info on Cities & Counties
- County and City Data Books
- County and City Data Book (2007)
- State Guide
- League of Women Voters of Texas
- League of Women Voters of Dallas
- Municode
State Government
- State Government Information (Library of Congress)
- Grading the States 2008
Ratings on how each states is handling: money, people, infrastructure, and information. Includes a comparison of states. - State Guide
- InfoPlease: the Fifty States
- 50 States and Capitals: Information
- Public Records, Appraisal Districts, & Real Estate Values Online
- Public Records Search
- Stateline
News and current issues with links to additional headlines. Includes education, elections, health, energy, environment, business, and government. Includes background information on issues, such as death penalty.
- Texas Governor
- Texas Legislative Branch
- Texas Judicial Branch
- Texas Government Online: renew registrations, driver's licenses, permits, verify workers' compensation, renew professional licenses
- Practicing Texas Politics
- Texas Government Information (UT)
- Texas Constitution and Statutes
- Texas Watch
Organization that monitors insurance and consumer protection in Texas. Provides updated information on current issues and legislation. Provides information on how to contact legislators.
United States Government
- Search the Federal Gov
Search engine and directory to government services and information. Includes links for kids, consumer fraud, health, taxes... Includes links to state and local governments, with links to a variety of facts/statistics. - USA.gov
- Senior Citizens' Resources
- State and County Quick Facts (government, people, business & geography)
- Tutorial: Finding Recent Bills Using Library of Congress Thomas Database
- Tutorial: Finding Congressional Debates
- Tutorial: How Do I Contact My Congressman
- Project Vote Smart : Info on Your Representatives
- Congressional Directory
- Voting America (United States Politics, 1840-2008)
Voting visualization and historical information for U.S. presidential elections. - Biographical Guide to Congress, 1774 to Present
Search engine to biographical information, images, oral histories, business and personal papers. Also includes territorial delegates, resident commissioners, and U. S. Vice Presidents. Searchable by name, party, state, position and year. - Political Database of the Americas
- Political Graveyard: Historical Biographies of Politicians
- The History of Televised Presidental Debates
- Public Agenda Online
- Skeleton Closet
- Votenet
- Census Data & Statistics
- Congress Votes Database
Contains all votes in Congress, since 1991. Let's you see who missed voting, which bills passed narrowly, and how your representatives voted. - Open Secrets: Campaign Finance Info
- CQ Money Line (FEC & Campaign Finance information in an easy to read format)
- FedSpending
- U.S. Legislative Branch -- House of Representatives
- U.S. Legislative Branch -- Senate
- U.S. Executive Branch -- President
- American Presidency Project
Links to public papers, State of the Union addresses, presidential election maps, media, data, other relevant documents and more! - U. S. Judicial Branch -- Supreme Court
- Federal Agency Directory
Listed: alphabetical, hierarchical, by boards, and by government branch. - United States Government Manual: Guide to Government Agencies & Departments
- U.S. State Department
- U. S. Constitution
- Congress Link
Links to information about Congress, experts opinions, primary documents, schedule of Congressional activities, zip code guide to elected officials, legislative procedures, and more... - Ben's Guide to U. S. Government
- Capitol Spotlight
Includes weekly updates on Congress with analyses of votes, information on hearings, video clips and news of the President. Includes a "Votes Library" for congressional votes by subject, vote number, chamber, and year. - Carsey Institute Socio-Economic Indicators
Statistical charts and graphs related to regions of the Untied States: poverty, - Congress.org
Name, state, committee assignments, and congressional leadership. Searchable by zip code, with links to members of Congress. For each member, includes telephone and email, biography, committee responsibilities, staff directory, local office, previous election results, major cities within the district, and other state representatives. - Congressional Research Reports for the People
Searchable database of more than 8,000 reports, a list of recently released reports and other collections of CRS reports. - Frequently Used Sites Related to U.S. Federal Government
- Government Information Links (UT)
- Guide to Law Online (Law Library of Congress)
Links to: Constitution, Executive, Judicial and Legislative guides, country guides... - Fact Check
- GPO Access
Reports from federal agencies: Federal Register, Budget... - This Nation: Comprehensive Guide to American Government and Politics
Extensive listing of links to: an online textbook, glossary, pictures, political cartoons, political search engine, and political news. - Atlas of Presidential Elections
- U. S. Census Bureau: Access to Information
- CRS Annotated Constitution
Constitution
- Analysis and Interpretation of the Constitution
- CQ in Context: Constitution and the Supreme Court
- History of Constitution Day, 1787
- American Historical Documents (National Archives)
- Constitution and Issues Today
- Constitution Online
- National Constitution Center
Explore the Constitution via interactive activities... read the Constitution and more!
International Government
- CIA World Factbook
- Election Resources on the Internet
Links to Internet sites around the world which provide complete and detailed national and local election statistics, as well as other election resources. - Election Guide: Elections Around the World
- NationMaster
Statistical comparisons for: educational level, democracy, economy, environment, population, media, literacy, sports, religion... - Chamber of Commerce: Across the World
- Electronic Cultural Atlas
Historical and cultural maps and information about various countries. Includes artifacts and architecture. - Council on Foreign Relations
Links to information on: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Middle East: economics, finance, trade, law, human rights, defense, peace, security, science and technology, social and cultural issues. - Countries of the World
Basic facts: map, flag, current ruler, land area, population, capital, languages, ethnicity, religions, literacy rate, economy, government, and history. - Country Guides
Information on ethnic conflicts. - Rankings + Records
Country ranking listings: richest, most populous, largest, cleanest... Links to basic country fact sources. - Country Studies
In-depth studies of over 100 countries. - Country Watch
Basic facts: population, history, economy, energy, environment, and current news. - Country Briefings
Basic facts, current events, domestic product, taxes, natural resources. - LookLex Encyclopedia (countries of the Middle East)
- Fact Monster: the World
Links to information and statistics on: country studies, current events, populations, flags, maps, major disasters, war, timelines, year-by-year events from 1900-2000. - Council on Foreign Relations
Current events updates, world issues, economics, peace and conflict, terrorism, media, and public opinion. - Foreign Affairs Online
- Constitution Finder
- Country Reports
- Embassy Web
- European Union
- Foreign Policy Association
- Foreign Policy in Focus
- Foreign Relations U. S. Government Official Web site
- Infonation: Choose Countries
- International Documents Collection
- International Relations Data Site
Statistics and research reports on: world conflicts, economics, environment, demographics, treaties, politics, society... - Rulers
- United Nations
Immigration
- Welcome to the U. S.: a Guide for New Immigrants (U. S. Citizenship & Immigration Services)
- Immigration Statistics (Homeland Security)
Statistics on immigration in the United States since 1820. Includes permanent and temporary (tourist).
Suggested Magazines
The Library subscribes to the following publications. The most recent issue is on display and back issues are available at the Circulation Counter. Bound issues are shelved in the upper level of the Library. Check the Periodicals Guide for information on the previous years shelved or bound.
| Texas Observer CQ Weekly National Review New Republic |
Newsweek Time Texas Monthly. S. News & World Report |
Suggested Subject Headings
Do a SUBJECT or KEYWORD search in the Online catalog for your topic. After doing your search, you can limit the results to books at El Centro by selecting the Limit Your Search button.
| civil rights democracy socialism liberalism lobbying political ethics |
Presidents communism bureaucracy campaign funds political corruption politics United States - politics & governments |
Recommended Reference Books
in-library use only
U. S. Government Manual
REFJK 421 A3
Congressional Directory
REF JK 1011 U53
CQ's American Congressional Directory
REF JK 9 K73
Almanac of American Politics
REF JK 1012 A44
Politics in America
REF JK 1010 P64
Federal Regulatory Directory
REF KF 5406 A15
Decisions of the U. S. Supreme Court
REF KF 101.1 L38
Book of the States
REF JK 2403 B6
Texas State Directory
REF JK 4830 T45
Guide to Texas State Agencies
REF JK 4830 G84
The best guide to resources is a librarian who can help you in using the catalog, databases and the Web. A librarian can also assist you in selecting materials appropriate for your needs. Please ask at any service desk for information or assistance!
The El Centro College Library does not guarantee the currency or accuracy of these web sites Links to these sites do not represent an endorsement of the site or of information contained within the site.
Reference/Information Desk: 214-860-2174 Circulation:
214-860-2175
West Campus: Reference/Information Desk: 972-391-1433 Circulation: 972-391-1427
BJP: (Room 2300) 214-860-5780
Comments or suggestions are welcome.
©2006 El Centro College Library
Dallas, TX
Last Updated:
August 27, 2010