LibGuides: POL6240: Introduction to Research Design: Legislative History Sources

Sources for Getting the Facts About Public Policy

Whether you elect to use one of Prof. Collins' suggested topics or another law of your choice, an excellent first source to use is the Congressional Quarterly Almanac [Call Number: REF JK1.C66], an annual publication that lists all of the Public Laws enacted by Congress during the year and provides excellent background information organized by subject. Having a Public Law Number in hand will make it easy to find in the major online sources.

THOMAS / Congress.gov (Library of Congress)
Congress' home on the web allows you to track the status of bills in both Houses of Congress. You can also find the full text of bills, public laws, committee reports, hearings transcripts, obtain Roll Call votes, and conduct other legislative research (e.g., search the Congressional Record). Most of the material in THOMAS is complete back to the 104th Congress (1995-1996), coinciding with the time the database was launched, although older material has been added.
U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO Access - FDsys)
The government Printing Office's Federal Digital System (FDsys) provides public access to Government information submitted by Congress and Federal agencies and preserved as technology changes.
U.S. House of Representatives
The House's site on the web.
U.S. Senate
The Senate's site on the web.
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (1993-2009)
The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents was published every Monday and was the official publication of presidential statements, messages, remarks, and other materials released by the White House Press Secretary. Replaced in January 2009 by the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents (see below).
Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents (2009-Present)
The Browse page for the current compilation of Presidential Documents.

Subject Guide

Gary Marks

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Subjects: Criminal Justice, Geography, Law and Legal Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Urban Studies