LibGuides: Political Science: Government Sources

govinfo from the US Government Publishing Office

" govinfo is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO), which is a Federal agency of the legislative branch. govinfo provides free access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government."

Below are popular government documents by branch, and not exhaustive lists.

USA.gov
USA .gov helps you locate and understand government benefits, programs, and information.

Documents by Government Branch

Budget of the United States Government
"Issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Budget of the United States Government is a collection of documents that contains the budget message of the President, information about the President's budget proposals for a given fiscal year, and other budgetary publications that have been issued throughout the fiscal year. Other related and supporting budget publications are included, which may vary from year to year."
Code of Federal Regulations (Electronic Edition)
The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) is a continuously updated online version of the CFR. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR.
Code of Federal Regulations annual edition
CFR annual is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government produced by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Publishing Office.
Federal Register
"The Office of the Federal Register (OFR) of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) jointly administer the FederalRegister.gov website. We developed this website to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in Government decision-making."

Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER)
"Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is a service of the federal Judiciary. Its mission is to provide the public with the broadest possible access to court records and to foster greater public understanding of the court system. PACER users include court staff; members of the bar; city, state, and federal employees; the news media; and the general public."
United States Reports
"United States Reports is a series of bound case reporters that are the official reports of decisions for the United States Supreme Court."

Congress.gov
Official website of the United States Congress. Find the status of bills,
Congressional Record (CR)
After each day that Congress is in session, the proceedings are printed in the Congressional Record (CR) and available the following morning. This searchable site contains the Congressional Record from 1957 to the present.
United States Code
The United States Code is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States.
United States Statutes at Large
"The United States Statutes at Large, typically referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. The Statutes at Large is prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) ."

Other Helpful Organizations

Constitute
Constitute offers access to the world’s constitutions so that users can systematically compare them across a broad set of topics. Users may interact with the world’s constitutions by finding relevant passages, performing filtered searches for specific regions or time periods, or reading excerpts.
Federal Depository Library Program
The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information. Anyone can visit Federal depository libraries and use the Federal depository collections which are filled with information on careers, business opportunities, consumer information, health and nutrition, legal and regulatory information, demographics, and numerous other subjects.
Freedom House
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom and democracy around the world. They analyze the challenges to freedom, advocate for greater political rights and civil liberties, and support frontline activists to defend human rights and promote democratic change. Founded in 1941, Freedom House was the first American organization to champion the advancement of freedom globally.
Law Library of Congress
Congress established its Law Library in 1832, recognizing its need for ready access to reliable legal materials. The Law Library has grown over the years to become the world’s largest law library, with a collection of over 2.65 million volumes spanning the ages and covering virtually every jurisdiction in the world.
Library of Congress
"The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.

The Library preserves and provides access to a rich, diverse and enduring source of knowledge to inform, inspire and engage you in your intellectual and creative endeavors. Whether you are new to the Library of Congress or an experienced researcher, we have a world-class staff ready to assist you online and in person."
National Archives and Records Administration
"The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever."
U. S. Census Bureau
The Census Bureau's mission is to serve as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy.

Databases from West Library

Gun Regulation and Legislation in America
Search in law journals and magazines, and government sources, such as congressional hearings, legislative histories, Supreme Court briefs, Congressional Research Service and General Accounting Office (GAO) reports for information relating to gun control and regulation.