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Internet Links

Citizens’ Rights

  • Americans with Disabilities Act Homepage (ADA)             
    Links to the ADA web site which features the text of the American Disabilities Act (1990) and related legislation.

  • American Civil Liberties Union
    The mission of the ACLU is to preserve majority power as limited by the Constitution's Bill of Rights. They also work also to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights.

  • Civil Rights: An Overview (Cornell University Law School)     
    An overview of civil rights in the U.S. as defined and codified within the U.S. legal system.

  • The Civil Rights Project at Harvard     
    Civil Rights Project at Harvard

  • The Constitution Project          
    Public Policy Institute. Georgetown University. "Designed to make constitutional issues a part of ordinary political debate."

  • DisabilityInfo.gov     
    Portal site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy. The goal is to provide one-stop online access to resources,services, and information available throughout the Federal government.

  • Equal Protection: An Overview (Cornell University Law School)     
    The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from denying any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

  • Federal Protections Against National Origin Discrimination     
    Issued by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, this brochure is designed to help citizens and immigrants better understand and exercise their legal rights by explaining the laws prohibiting national origin discrimination.

  • Federal Affirmative Action Law: A Brief History            
    CRS Report on Federal Affirmative Action Law

  • U.S. Department of Justice: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)      
    Gives background on requesting government records under the FOIA, providing links to most federal agency FOIA sites and to more detailed reports on the topic.

  • The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press          
    An independent opinion research group that provides surveys, studies, and commentary on attitudes toward the press, politics, and public policy issues.

  • U.S. Commission on Civil Rights         
    Source of numerous publications discussing discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws because of race, national origin, and other factors.

  • Urban Institute           
    A nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research and educational organization addressing a broad range of social, economic, and governance problems facing the nation.

  • U.S. Department of Justice: Civil Rights Division          
    The Department of Justice enforces the law and defends the interests of the United States; ensures public safety against threats foreign and domestic; provides federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; seeks just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and ensures fair and impartial administration of justice.

  • U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission         
    Official homepage of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, it provides links to facts, statistics, resources, and technical assistance regarding employment discrimination.

Crime and Justice

  • Almanac of Policy Issues: Criminal Justice     
    This site provides comprehensive background information and links on major U.S. public policy issues. The Almanac is an independent public service not affiliated with any particular issue or cause. Every effort is made to present all sides of each issue, and to do so in an unbiased, journalistic format.

  • Death Penalty: An Overview (Cornell University Law School)      
    Cornell University Legal Information Institute. A legal overview of the death penalty. Capital punishment links to the U.S. constitution, laws, and cases. Also includes links to state laws and cases.

  • Hate Crimes reported by Victims and Police     
    Link to Hate Crime Reported by Victims and Police.

  • Librarians’ Internet Index: Crime     
    The Crime section of a searchable, annotated subject directory of Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users of public libraries.

  • National Crime Prevention Council     
    A national educational nonprofit whose mission is to enable people to create safer and more caring communities by addressing the causes of crime and violence and reducing the opportunities for crime to occur.

  • National Criminal Justice Reference Service      
    NCJRS is a federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.

  • U.S. Department of Justice      
    The Department of Justice enforces the law and defends the interests of the United States; ensures public safety against threats foreign and domestic; provides federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; seeks just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and ensures fair and impartial administration of justice.

  • U.S. Department of Justice: Office on Violence Against Women     
    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs :The Violence Against Women Office (VAWO).

U.S. Law Resources

  • Code of Federal Regulations            
    The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation.

  • The Federal Register             
    The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.

  • FindLaw: LawCrawler              
    Legal Web and Database search site.

  • USA.gov: Reference Center and General Government        
    Extensive links to both federal and state sources of legal information.

  • GPO Access             
    Homepage of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) that disseminates official information from all three branches of the Federal Government.

  • The Legal Information Institute             
    A research and electronic publishing activity of the Cornell Law School, the LII is known internationally as a leading "law-not-com" provider of public legal information.

  • Meta-Index for U.S. Legal Research (Georgia State University College of Law)               
    Link to a website that navigates searchable legal indexes.

  • U.S. Office of the Law Revision Counsel             
    This site offers various means of searching and downloading sections of the full United States Code.

  • U.S. Code collection             
    Site that searches the subject material of the US Code. Host: Cornell Law School.
E-Government

  • Electronic Frontier Foundation           
    Founded in 1990, the EFF continues to confront cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today.

  • Electronic Privacy Information Center           
    EPIC was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values, particularly in the electronic environment.

  • E-Strategy
    A service of the Office of Electronic Government and Technology, this site assists sections of the U.S. government to enhance their delivery of information and services to citizens through creation of electronic government points.

  • FederalTimes.com    
    A news and information service for federal managers.

  • FedWorld.gov     
    National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce. Gateway to a variety of government information sources including federal government employment openings, directory of scientific and technical research and development fronm all government agencies, and key government science and technology web resource sites.

  • USA.gov     
    The first-ever government website to provide the public with easy, one-stop access to all online U.S. Federal Government resources.

  • GovSpot.com     
    Topical portal to"best and most relevant" government information online.

Elections

General
  • Campaigns & Elections   
    Access to articles and features from this non-partisan trade magazine on both the political and process sides of campaigns and elections. Some items require logon and password.

  • Campaigns and Elections: Political Oddsmaker      
    Political expert offers predictions on state and national races.

  • Commission on Presidential Debates   
    Nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation, sponsor of all the general election debates since 1988. Includes history, procedures and transcripts of these debates, and those prior to 1988, when available.

  • U.S. Committee on House Administration   
    U.S. House of Representatives. The House Committee with jurisdiction over the conduct of elections provides news, text of "dear colleagues" letters, summaries of recent election legislation, and transcripts of committee hearings on election-related legislation. Topics include electronic voting system security, the Election Assistance Commission, the implementation of the Help America Vote Act, and the Federal Election Commission.

  • Common Cause
    Common Cause is a nonpartisan nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1970 to make citizen voices heard in the political process and to hold their elected leaders accountable to the public interest. It is committed to honest, open and accountable government, as well as encouraging citizen participation in democracy.

  • Congress.org     
    Capitol Advantage. Includes issue positions of Presidential candidates, state information on voter registration and upcoming elections, and links to Congressional races by state, with background information available on Congressional voting records.

  • Dave Leip’s Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections     
    Wealth of candidate and statistical voting information since 1932 presented in graphs, maps, and charts. Basic national results for the major and minor candidates for U.S. President in the presidential elections available from 1789 through 2000.

  • Demos: Democracy Program      
    Clearinghouse for resources to eliminate institutional barriers that keep Americans locked out of the political system. Links include news, organizations, and publications on election protection, the Help America Vote Act, the National Voter Registration Act, felon re-enfranchisement, and election day registration.

  • The Election Center     
    A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of voter registration and elections administration professionals. Of special note is the Internet Voting section, including resources on the technology, feasibility, and integrity of voting on the internet.

  • Electionline.org      
    Includes a reference guide to laws and regulations, and state and local election administration, as well as commentay on best practices and areas for electoral reform.

  • U.S. Federal Election Commission     
    U.S. government agency with responsibility for monitoring campaign finance.

  • The Green Papers    
    Facts, figures, tidbits and commentary on the U.S. election campaigns.

  • Grolier Encyclopedia Online: The American Presidency      
    Extensive articles on a broad spectrum of election issues, including absentee voting, ballots, caucuses and primary elections, the Electoral College, voting behavior, and voting machines.

  • The National Association of State Election Directors      
    Links to election website of each state, which include detailed information on voter and candidate registrations, voter turnout data, and ballot and referendum information. Also describes the voting system certification testing process and links to the Election Assistance Commission.

  • National Conference of State Legislatures
    The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues.

  • The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press     
    An independent opinion research group that provides surveys, studies, and commentary on attitudes toward the press, politics, and public policy issues. Especially known for its research program, The People, The Press & Politics, featuring a division of the American electorate into distinct voting groups, attempting to identify basic values and attitudes, and resulting political behaviors.

  • Politics1.com    
    Politics1 is published as a non-partisan public service to promote fully informed decision-making by the American electorate, with a particular focus on presidential candidates and elections.

  • Project Vote Smart     
    Comprehensive source for information on candidates and issues.

  • Public Agenda     
    Nonpartisan public opinion research and citizen education organization. Significant issue guides that provide policy options and public opinion polls.

  • University of Michigan Library Documents Center: Elections     
    An extensive source of links to all aspects of the 2004 campaign and election, with background information also available on the campaigns from 1996 through 2002.

Political Parties

The two major U.S. political parties are listed plus several smaller parties that frequently contest in state or national elections. For a full list see the top item.

Voting

  • Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project
    The Voting Technology Project evaluates the reliability and uniformity of U.S. voting systems, and proposes uniform guidelines and requirements of reliable voting systems.

  • The Center for Voting and Democracy     
    Nonprofit research and advocacy organization, promoting electoral systems where every vote counts and all voters are represented. Promotes instant runoff voting and forms of proportional representation as alternatives to winner-take-all plurality elections systems.

  • U.S. Civil Rights Division: Voting Section Home Page      
    U.S. Department of Justice. An extensive collection of materials on protecting an individual's right to vote. Includes discussion of the federal voting rights laws: the Help America Vote Act of 2002, language minority provisions of the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter), and the Voting Rights Act.

  • U.S. Federal Voting Assistance Program     
    U.S. Department of Defense. This web site provides a broad range of non-partisan information and assistance to facilitate the participation of more than six million US citizens covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). The FVAP informs and educates U.S. citizens worldwide of their right to vote; fosters voting participation; and protects the integrity of, and simultaneously enhances, the electoral process at the Federal, State and local levels.

  • League of Women Voters    
    Nationwide grassroots citizen organization provides topical information on voting, civic participation, and current public policy issues.

  • PollingReport.com      
    An independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American public opinion.

  • The Vanishing Voter Project     
    Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. Harvard University. Comprehensive research study on voter participation in 2000 election.

Campaign Finance

  • Campaign Finance Information Center      
    Missouri School of Journalism provides resources that help investigative reporters and editors and the public follow the campaign money trail -- on the national, state and local levels.

  • Campaign Finance Institute      
    A nonprofit, bipatisan institute provides extensive resources and links to track legislation, disclosure reports, and areas for improvement in campaign financing.

  • OpenSecrets.org - Your Guide to the Money in U.S. Elections     
    Center for Responsive Politics. Includes detailed tracking and summary reports, surveys, and studies on contributions in politics, and their effect on elections and public policy.

Facts and Statistics

Foreign Affairs

  • ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law: Treaties           
    American Society for International Law guide with info and links on Treaties.

  • The Avalon Project at Yale Law School: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy            
    Avalon Project mounts collections of digital documents relevant to the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government.

  • The Carter Center         
    A nonpartisan research, analysis and action center, in partnership with Emory University, works in fields of conflict resolution, promotion of freedom and democracy, and improvement in health.

  • Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)          
    CSIS serves as a strategic planning partner for the government by conducting research and analysis and developing policy initiatives that look into the future and anticipate change.

  • Council on Foreign Relations           
    The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, national membership organization and a nonpartisan center for scholars dedicated to producing and disseminating ideas so that interested citizens in the United States and other countries, can better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other governments.

  • CNN.com: Politics     
    Cable News Network's site for 24-hour coverage of political news stories. Includes a searchable archives of news features and background information, access to live video streaming, and audio packages of selected broadcasts.

  • Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators (ENTRI)          
    An online service for accessing multilateral environmental treaty data.

  • Export.Gov: Free Trade Agreements          
    • Website designed to help you learn more about U.S. Free Trade Agreements and how they can help grow your business.

  • The Fletcher School at Tufts University: The Multilaterals Project           
    Tufts University project site that makes available texts of international multilateral conventions and other instruments.

  • Foreign Policy Institute (FPI)        
    FPI, part of the Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), was established in 1980 to unite the worlds of scholarship and public affairs in the search for realistic answers to international issues facing the United States and the world.

  • Human Rights Library at the University of Minnesota: Human Rights Treaties and Other Instrument         University of Minnesota Human Rights Treaties library site with links to documents and info.

  • Juris International: International Trade Instruments            
    Juris International is a multilingual collection (English, Spanish, and French) of legal information on international trade. It aims to facilitate and reduce the work involved in research for business lawyers, advisers and in-house counsel, and state organizations in developing and transition economies, by providing access to texts which have often been difficult to obtain.

  • The National Endowment for Democracy         
    The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1983 to strengthen democratic institutions around the world through nongovernmental efforts. It makes hundreds of grants each year to support pro-democracy groups in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Union.

  • Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)           
    The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is specialized in trade issues and regions of the world. USTR negotiates directly with foreign governments to create trade agreements, resolve disputes and participate in global trade policy organizations.

  • The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization          
    The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO Preparatory Commission) is an international organization established by the States Signatories to the Treaty on 19 November 1996. It carries out the necessary preparations for the effective implementation of the Treaty, and prepares for the first session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty.

  • Public Diplomacy Web Site          
    This web site is designed to inform anyone interested in U.S. foreign affairs regarding the important role public diplomacy has playes in in safeguarding and advancing U.S. interests.

  • RAND Corporation           
    A nonprofit research and analysis institution addressing critical social, economic, and national security issues.

  • Stanford University: Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace         
    The overall mission of the Hoover Institution is to recall the voice of experience against the making of war, and by the study of these records and their publication, to recall man's endeavors to make and preserve peace, and to sustain for America the safeguards of the American way of life.

  • Trade Information Center      
    The Trade Information Center of the Department of Commerce provides answers to export questions, tariff and import fee information, and other resources.

  • United Nations Treaty Collection             
    Homepage of the UN Treaty Collection.

  • United States Institute of Peace         
    The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan, national institution established and funded by Congress to help prevent and resolve violent international conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and democratic transformations, and increase peacebuilding capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide.

  • U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control        
    This office of the US Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, and those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

  • Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University
    The Woodrow Wilson School is an institution with the energy and strength to tackle the most serious issues of the present day, and the vision and experience to prepare the leaders who will shape the public policies of the future.

  • World Resources Institute           
    An independent nonprofit organization working towards practical policy proposals that foster environmentally sound, socially equitable development.

  • World Trade Organization           
    Homepage of the WTO.

  • Worldwatch Institute           
    Non-partisan, independent, interdisciplinary research organization focusing on an environmentally sustainable and socially just society.

  • The WWW Virtual Library: International Affairs Resources           
    Annotated links to a wide range of international affairs topics, organizations and research institutes, maintained by Political Science Professor Wayne Selcher, Elizabethtown College.

Government Guides and Overviews

  • Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids    
    U.S. Government Printing Office's educational component of GPO Access. The site offers age appropriate access for K-12 students, parents and teachers to resources about the U.S. government and how to use them.

  • E-Gov            
    Links to E-Government: Utilizing technology to improve how the Federal Government serves citizens, businesses and agencies alike.

  • Federal Citizen Information Center      
    U.S. General Services Administration. The Federal Citizen Information Center provides the answer to questions about the Federal government and everyday consumer issues. The site provides access to the current Consumer Information Catalog and the full text of all the publications listed in it.

  • USA.gov             
    Links to various government resources and departments. This is a successor to firstgov.gov

  • Independent Agencies and Government Corporations    
    USA.gov portal to over 50 independent agencies created by Congress to address special concerns.

Government Search Resources

  • Abbreviations and Acronyms of the U.S. Government      
    Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, University Library. This acronmym directory also provides links to the official website for most of the agencies or programs listed.

  • Columbia University Libraries: U.S. Government Documents      
    Lehman Social Sciences Library. Columbia University. Site provides access to a variety of federal and state resources through subject guides & internet resources. Full text of many popular U.S. documents are included in the topical subject guides. Also provides electronic versions of federal and New York state government serial publications.

  • Federal Citizen Information Center:  National Contact Center      
    Federal Citizen Information Center, U.S. General Service Administration. Access to federal phone directories, cabinet agencies, and members of Congress by organization and popular topic.

  • U.S. Government Documents: Government & Law           
    Link to two large collections of primary source documents in American government.

  • Google U.S. Government Search    
    Google U.S. Government Search offers a single location for searching across U.S. government information on all topic areas from U.S. federal, state and local government websites.

  • GPO Access     
    U.S. Government Printing Office access to official, published documents, with highlights for new documents. Documents may be searched by title, topic, or branch of government.

  • Grants.gov
    Grants.gov site allows users to find and apply for U.S. Federal government grants. There are over 1,000 grant programs offered by all Federal grant making agencies.

  • Infomine: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections - Government Information      
    The Regents of the University of California. Annotated and indexed links to scholarly Internet resource collections, with numerous access points through browsing and searching.

  • U.S. Library of Congress: Government Web Resources      
    Library of Congress guide to useful government sites.

  • Political Information     
    A targeted, non-partisan portal of links to more 5,000 web sites for political and policy information and resources.

  • The University of Michigan Library: Documents Center     
    A central reference and referral point for government information, whether local, state, federal, foreign or international. Its web pages are a reference and instructional tool for government, political science, statistical data, and news.

  • The University of Oklahoma College of Law: A Chronology of U.S. Historical Documents
    Full text or links to historical documents ranging from the 1215 Magna Carta and The Iroquois Constitution to the President's 2007 State of the Union Address.

National Science Resources

  • U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)            
    The mission of the ATSDR is to serve the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.

  • U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: Superfund Basic Research Program       
    The Superfund Basic Research Program is a network of university grants that are designed to seek solutions to the complex health and environmental issues associated with hazardous waste sites, coordinated within the Environmental Protection Agency.

  • National Council for Science and the Environment           
    The National Council for Science and the Environment is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the scientific basis for environmental decision-making.

  • GrayLIT Network      
    Federal interagency partnership portal to provide access to hard-to-find science and technology reports generated through federally funded research and development projects. Participating agencies are DOD/DTIC, DOE, EPA, and NASA.

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Superfund         
    Citizen concern over the extent of the dumping chemical wastes might affect public health and the environment led Congress to establish the Superfund Program in 1980 to locate, investigate, and clean up the worst sites nationwide.

Policy Think Tanks

  • American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research          
    The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a private, nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics, and social welfare.

  • The Baker Institute         
    The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy is an integral part of Rice University. f Rice University faculty and the institute's endowed fellows and scholars do important research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy.

  • Brookings Institution           
    An independent, nonpartisan research and educational institution focused on public policy issues in the areas of economics, foreign policy, and governance.

  • Council for Excellence in Government          
    The Council works to encourage innovation and results-oriented performance in government, connect citizens and government and encourage citizen participation, attract and encourage talented people for public service and promote electronic government.

  • Heritage Foundation          
    A research and educational institute formulating and promoting a broad spectrum of conservative public policies.

  • Hudson Institute       
    Research organization seeking to guide debate and change on enduring policy challenges.

  • National Center for Policy Analysis      
    A nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization seeking private sector solutions. NCPA Idea House provides topical access to materials on a broad array of issues.

  • National Constitution Center   
    An independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, with wide-ranging resources to increase awareness and understanding of the U.S. Constitution, its history, and its relevance to daily life.

  • Urban Institute    
    A nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research and educational organization addressing a broad range of social, economic, and governance problems facing the nation.

Social Support

  • GovBenefits.gov   
    GovBenefits.gov is a partnership of Federal agencies with a shared vision - to provide improved, personalized access to government assistance programs.

  • Martin on Social Security    
    Legal Information Institute, Cornell University. This novel reference work was written to organize a comprehensive library of Social Security material, and be surrounded by and linked to the primary law material. Issue by issue it provides immediate, "point and click" access to the relevant portions of the Social Security Act, Code of Federal Regulations, Hallex, and POMS as well as all important cases and rulings.

  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Homeless     
    This site was prepared to help homeless people and those that assist them locate programs within the Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, and in other federal agencies. The programs are managed by local organizations that provide a range of services, including shelter, food, counseling, and jobs skills programs.

  • Welfare Law: An Overview (Cornell University Law School)     
    Since the 1930s welfare benefits for individuals and families with no or low income have existed in the U.S. The law governing entitlement and benefit to any one of these welfare programs is complex. This site provides texts of laws, regulations, and judicial decisions related to welfare.

State and Local Government Law Resources

The Three Branches

Executive Branch

  • The White House    
    Homepage of the United States White House.

  • Bush Administration Nominations by Name    
    The White House. An alphabetical listing of current nominations, with alternate view by date of nomination. Nomination details available by clicking on last name.

  • Center for the Study of the Presidency   
    A leading non-partisan educational institution in the United States devoted to the study of the American Presidency.

  • Federal Government Resources: Executive Branch      
    University of Michigan Documents Center. Executive branch resources are accessible by topic and format. The Public Policy Matrix within the Research section provides a unique problem-solving approach to finding information on executive branch options and influences.

  • Federal Government Resources: President of the United States
    University of Michigan Documents Center extensive topical guide, with links to many information sources on the presidency. Annotations provided.

  • GPO Access: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
    Office of the Federal Register, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Currently, archive begins with 1991 documents; previous administrations will be added as they are digitized. May be searched and browsed.

  • GPO Access: Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents     
    The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is published every Monday and is the official publication of presidential statements, messages, remarks, and other materials released by the White House Press Secretary. On GPO Access, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is available from 1993 forward and is searchable by keyword or by table of contents.

  • Internet Public Library: Presidents of the United States      
    The Internet Public Library, hosted by the University of Michigan, School of Information, contains extensive background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and links to biographies, historical documents, and other sites on each of the Presidents.

  • JURIST: Presidential Pardons   
    JURIST: The Legal Education Network at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law presents this guide as a non-partisan educational resource for scholars, policy-makers and citizens interested in the law of Presidential pardons.

  • U.S. Executive Branch Web Sites     
    A Library of Congress Internet resource page with links to the Executive Office of the President, the cabinet departments, and selected bureaus, independent agencies, boards, commissions, committees, and quasi-official agencies.

  • Presidential Libraries
    National Archives and Records Administration. Background on the Presidential Library program, and links to the Presidential Libraries for George Bush, Jimmy Carter, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald R. Ford, Herbert Hoover, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman. Also includes links to the Nixon Presidential Materials Staff, and the William J. Clinton Presidential Materials Project in Little Rock, Arkansas, prior to the opening of the Clinton Library in November 2004.

Legislative Branch

  • Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia: Congress of the United States     
    A brief encyclopedia article with links to others on the House of Representatives and the Senate.

  • American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)            
    ALEC's mission is to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty, through a non-partisan, public-private partnership between America's state legislators and concerned members of the private sector, the federal government and the general public.

  • Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: 1774-Present    
    Directory of biographies for the U.S. Congress.

  • CapitolHearings.org    
    C-SPAN. Distributes gavel-to-gavel audio coverage of U.S. Senate Committee hearings via the Internet.
  • TheCapitol.Net: Glossary of Congressional and Legislative Terms   
    TheCapitolNet from Congressional Quarterly. Glossary of common Congressional and legislative process terms.

  • The Cato Institute           
    A non-profit public policy research foundation espousing the principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets and peace in public policy debates.

  • The Center on Congress at Indiana University     
    Extensive information on the institution of Congress, its role in American life, the legislative process, and the various aspects of being a Member of Congress.

  • Congress.org: America's Town Square     
    By Capitol Advantage, Congress.org is a service of Capitol Advantage and Knowlegis, LLC, a private, non-partisan companies that specialize in facilitating civic participation. Posts and links to action alerts, can be browsed by issue area, from over 800 advocacy groups, corporations, associations, unions, state organizations and media.

  • Congressional Committees and Subcommittees  
    Contacting the Congress is a database of directory and biographical information, phone numbers, FAX numbers, office addresses, electronic mail addresses and WWW homepages for members of the Congress and Congressional Committees.

  • U.S. Congressional Committee Materials Online via GPO Access      
    Link to U.S. Congress.

  • Demos: A Network for Ideas & Action          
    Includes news, analysis, and research on democracy issues at all levels of government, promoting improvements to the state of American democracy.

  • The Dirksen Congressional Center      
    The Dirksen Congressional Center. Designed by this nonpartisan research and educational organization as a resource on the U.S. Congress for teachers of American government, history, and civics. Special features include lesson plans and reference and historical materials related to congressional topics.

  • Federal Legislative History Research: A Practitioner's Guide to Compiling the Documents and Sifting for Legislative Intent    
    Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C., Inc. Extensive guidance on federal legislative histories, how they are used, sources for prepared histories, procedures for compiling a history from paper, electronic, and historic sources, and finding legislative intent in a legislative history. Document includes a detailed outline with links to written narrative, related legislative history web sites, and a bibliography of law journal articles

  • Frequently Used Sites Related to U.S. Federal Government Information      
    Federal Documents Task Force, Government Documents Roundtable, American Library Association. Links to frequently used federal resources. Created by librarians, the annotated links are accessible by level of government or broad subject, or through keyword and field searches. Results can be sorted by title or date.

  • U.S. Government Accountability Office      
    GAO evaluates federal programs, audits federal expenditures, and issues legal opinions. GAO reports its findings to Congress, and recommends corrective actions. Its work leads to laws and acts that improve government operations, and save billions of dollars.

  • The Hill     
    Link to online version of Capitol Hill News, a newspaper for and about Congress.

  • U.S. House of Representatives: Committee on Rules    
    Committee on Rules. U.S. House of Representatives. This web site provides publications, explanations, and facts sheets on various procedural issues and parliamentary questions, with the goal to make the legislative process understandable to the general public.

  • Independent Agencies and Government Corporations      
    USA.gov portal to over 50 independent agencies created by Congress to address special concerns.

  • Legislative Branch Resources on GPO Access     
    Government Printing Office. Access to full text official legislative publications, documents, and web resources.

  • LLSDC's Legislative Source Book     
    Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C., Inc.

  • National Journal     
    Link to subscription only National Journal.

  • Political Advocacy Groups: A Directory of United States Lobbyists           
    A privately compiled directory of U.S. lobbying organizations, with topical and alphabetical access to directory information and a brief description of over 400 organizations.

  • Selected Congressional Research Service Reports on Congress and its Procedures    
    Law Librarians’ Society of Washington, D.C., Inc. Provides text of large number of reports from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress, on Congress and its legislative procedures. Also includes links to other web-based collections of nonpartisan CRS reports and issue briefs providing research and analysis on a wide breadth of topics.

  • THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet      
    U.S. Library of Congress. Portal to a wide range of legislative links, including all points within the legislative process, bills, the Congressional Record, committee information, general information about legislative branch agencies, and historical documents.

  • U.S. House of Representatives     
    Portal to a wealth of websites on the U.S. House of Representatives, including those of individual Representatives and Committees, as well as links on scheduling, finding legislation, and understanding the legislative process.

  • U.S. House of Representatives: Learn About the Legislative Process      
    U.S. House of Representatives. Access to documentation on all aspects of the current and historic legislative process in the House, including a summary of current proceedings on the floor of the House when in session; roll call votes beginning with 101st Congress; and bill texts, bill status, amendment status, committee reports, and floor proceedings beginning with the 104th Congress.

  • U.S. Senate     
    Portal to a wealth of websites on the U.S. Senate, including those of individual Senators and Committees, as well as links on floor and committee scheduling, finding legislation and records, and reference resources.

  • The University of Michigan Library Documents Center: Legislative History Process    
    University of Michigan Documents Center. A unique, annotated flow-chart approach to finding information sources on each step of the legislative process, for current or historical bills. It also provides links to the sources on the varied influences on the members of Congress -- campaign funders, constituents, lobby groups, political parties, and the President.

Judicial Branch

  • American Judicature Society     
    AJS is a nonpartisan organization interested in the administration of justice, with primary focus on Judicial Independence. News, articles, publications, and links are included on topics of Judicial Conduct and Ethics, Judicial Selection, The Jury, Court Administration, and Public Understanding of the Justice System.

  • Courts.net      
    Nation's Courts Directory, providing access to web sites maintained by courts and legal sites nationwide, by state or at the Federal level.

  • Famous Trials    
    Prof. Douglas O. Linder, University of Missouri-Kansas City. Wealth of materials on over 25 famous American trials, from the Salem Witchcraft trials to O.J. Simpson.

  • Federal Courts Law Review     
    Publication of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association, an electronic law review dedicated to legal scholarship relating to federal courts. Articles, available full-text, combine the insight of the federal judiciary with the perspective of law school academics.

  • Justice at Stake     
    Justice at Stake is a nonpartisan campaign working to keep our courts fair and impartial, by seeking to keep politics and special interests out of the courtroom. Has links to fact sheets, polling reports, and fulltext of broad array of best resources on judicial independence.

  • The National Center for State Courts     
    NCSC, an independent, nonprofit organization, seeks to improve justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Includes best practices in a wide range of areas, and a database of extensive court-related information in 18 major subject areas and over 100 indexed topics.

  • The Third Branch      
    A publication of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

  • U.S. Courts: The Federal Judiciary      
    Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. A clearinghouse for information from and about the Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government.

  • United States Military Commissions: A Quick Guide to Available Resources    
    Stephen Young is a reference librarian at The Catholic University of America, Kathryn J. DuFour Law Library. Extensive guide to statutory authority, judicial decisions, and significant writings and websites on military.

Court Decisions, Treaties, U.S. Code and Regulations

Visa and Immigration Resources

  • U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Consular Affairs
    The mission of the Bureau of Consular Affairs is to protect the lives and interests of American citizens overseas and to strengthen U.S. security. Consular officers overseas are responsible for issuing all non-immigrant and immigrant visas.

  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.

  • Application Procedures: Becoming a Permanent Resident While in the United States        
    Links from the U.S. Citizen and Immigrations Services on to information on how a temporary visa holder may become a permanent resident of the United States.

  • Destination USA        
    UnitedStatesVisas.gov is an official source of information about U.S. visa policy and procedures. Use this site to learn about the visa application process, understand current requirements, and get updates on recent developments.

  • Websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions   
    Links to a listing of the specific visa services provided by each consulate in every country with which the United States has diplomatic relations.

  • US-Visit Program        
    US-VISIT is a top priority for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security because it enhances the security of our citizens and visitors, facilitates legitimate travel and trade, ensures the integrity of our immigration system and protects the privacy of visitors.

  • Consular Notification and Access        
    Links to a U.S. Department of State resource providing detailed information on your right to contact your embassy and see your consular officials in case you have legal problems while in the United States.

  • Embassy.org: Washington D.C. Embassies        
    Links to contact information and Web site links for every national embassy located in the United States' capital.

  • Foreign Affairs Manual & Foreign Affairs Handbooks: 9 FAM Visas         
    Links to the online version of the U.S. Department of State's Foreign Affairs Manual on Visas.

  • Foreign Consular Offices in the United States        
    Links to addresses, telephone numbers, and names of key personnel for every consulate that each recognized country operates across the United States.

  • Forms and Fees        
    Links to downloadable INS forms for applying for the various types of U.S. entry.

  • How Can I Get Immigrant Status Based on Employment?        
    Links from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service on how some persons holding temporary work visas may become eligible for a change to immigrant status.

  • How Do I Apply for Temporary Protected Status?        
    Links from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service on how a temporary visa holder may petition the INS to award him or her temporary protected status.

  • How Do I Extend My Stay in the U.S.?      
    Links to information and references from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service on the process of requesting that a visa be extended.

  • How Do I Get Permission to Change to a New Nonimmigrant Status?      
    Links to information from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service on how a temporary visa holder may become a permanent resident of the United States.
  • Legal Requirements for F-1 Foreign Students in Public Schools        
    State Department site for students holding F-1 visas.

  • Mexican and Canadian NAFTA Professional Worker         
    State Department site for information for professionals coming to the U.S. for temporary work from Canada or Mexico under the auspices of the NAFTA.

  • Questions About Visas?       
    State Department site with links to answers to many general questions about U.S. visas and the visa process.

  • Revalidating (or Renewing) Diplomatic, International Organization and NATO Visas in the U.S.      
    State Department links to information on how to extend the duration of a visa stay based on diplomatic status.

  • Review of Immigration Documents       
    State Department site for students with links to a list of documents that should be with them at all times during travel to the U.S.

  • Student Visas       
    State Department site describing the policy of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service for student visas.

  • Temporary Workers      
    State Department site with links to definitions of each class of work visa and guidance on how to apply for temporary workers.

  • Treaty Traders and Treaty Investors        
    State Department site with links to information on special work visa regulations that apply to persons doing business in the USA who come from countries having trade agreements with the United States.

  • U.S. Visa Processing        
    Provides information about post 9/11 changes to nonimmigrant visa processes and entry-exit procedures.

  • Visa Denials         
    State Department site with links to how U.S. consulates make decisions to issue or deny visas and what can be done to appeal or reopen a visa application.

  • Visa Waiver Program (VWP)        
    State Department site with links to information on a special program for citizens of designated countries who may have the visa requirement waived if they intend a stay for no longer than 90 days.

  • Visit the U.S.         
    Links from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service with links to information on immigrant visas that are issued by U.S. Consulates , as well as guidance on application procedures.

  • A New Century: Immigration and the US   
    From the Migration Information Source, providing fresh thought, authoritative data from numerous global organizations and governments, and global analysis of international migration and refugee trends.

Speeches and Public Addresses

  • Abraham Lincoln's Speeches  
    Link to 17 of Lincoln's speeches.

  • Douglass: Archives of American Public Address
    Douglass is an electronic archive of American oratory and related documents. It is intended to serve general scholarship and courses in American rhetorical history at Northwestern University.

  • History and Politics Out Loud
    History and Politics Out Loud is a searchable multimedia database documenting and delivering authoritative audio relevant to American history and politics, supported by the National Endowment for Humanities, in collaboration with Michigan State University and the National Gallery of the Spoken Word.

  • Speech & Transcript Center: Historic Material  
    Links to various websites containing transcripts of historically significant speeches compiled by Gary Price, George Washington University.

 

InfoUSA is maintained by the Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP), U.S. Department of State

This CD-ROM provides a number of links to third-party web sites for the convenience of its users. The inclusion of these links does not in any way imply endorsement by the United States Government, nor is the Government responsible for the contents of these linked sites and the opinions and statements expressed therein. This also applies to any additional links that may appear within these sites.