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PLS 135 Course Playbook

Resources for research in political science, government, and international relations.

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Explore Census Data
From the U.S. Census Bureau, offers population, housing, economic and geographic data.
Census.gov
Collects data on the economy, population and government of the United States.
CIA World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
Data.gov
The home of the U.S. government's open data; find tools and resources for research and statistics.
Fedstats
Provides links to a variety of statistical data.
ForeignAssistance.gov
GPO FDsys
Government Printing Office Web site. Online databases include the federal budget, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Code and Supreme Court decisions from 1937-1975.
Opensecrets.org
Research group that tracks how money is used in politics.
Pew Research Center: US Politics & Policy
A nonpartisan organization that conducts opinion polling, demographic research and media analysis.
USA.gov
The official Web directory for the United States government.

White House
A link to the official White House Web site. It has a broad range of information, from daily press releases to virtual White House tours.

Findlaw
Provides access to many legal resources, including Supreme Court decisions, law reviews and state resources.
Legal Information Institute
Provides Supreme Court opinions under the auspices of Project Hermes, the court's electronic-dissemination project. The text of all decisions after May 1990 and 600 of the most important cases before 1990 may be searched by topic or party name.
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
Has extensive information about criminal and juvenile justice. It is a collection of sources from the Department of Justice and other federal agencies. Look here for statistical information about school crime, alcohol-related offenses and drug purchase and use patterns.
United States Courts
Has information about the federal courts, including a description of the various courts, statistical reports of judicial business and publications relating to the federal judiciary.

US House of Representatives
US Senate
United States Code
A link to the most recent version of the United States Code made available by the U.S. House of Representatives. Search by the law's name, by browsing the list of 50 titles or by using a search engine.
US Public Laws
Database of laws enacted for the 104th Congress (1995-96) to the current Congress, prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.
Congress.gov
Official website for U.S. federal legislative information. Provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.
Biographical Directory of the US Congress
Biographical sketches of members of Congress from 1774 to the present.
Fast Facts for Congress
From the U.S. Census Bureau, provides links to information on demographics, the economy and the census. Statistics about congressional districts also are provided.

Federal Election Commission
Provides information on campaign financing.
League of Women Voters
A non-partisan organization, works to advocate for and influence government policy.
American National Election Studies (ANES)
Provides data on voting, public opinion and political participation.
Project Vote Smart
Provides information on voting, interest groups and campaign finances.
FactCheck.org
A non-partisan, non-profit organization, verifies the accuracy of statements made by public officials.
US Election Statistics: A Resource Guide
From the Library of Congress.
OpenSecrets.org
Comprehensive resource for federal campaign contributions, lobbying data, and analysis.

Subjects: Political Science & Government