Research Guides: Justice Studies (UNH Durham): Government Information

Government Information

CRS reports and issue briefs provide well-sourced, nonpartisan summaries on a wide range of policy issues and other topics.

CRS (Congressional Research Service) Reports, 2018+ This link opens in a new window
Now directly released by the CRS, which prepares these reports for the use of Congress in its legislative, oversight, and representational duties. Reports are produced on topics of interest to Congress.
CRS (Congressional Research Service) Reports, 1965-2018 This link opens in a new window
Public policy briefs issued by the Congressional Research Service to inform members of Congress and their staff on subjects of current interest. Funded by taxpayer money and thus all in the public domain, these reports are nonpartisan and concise.
Note: The information on this site is compiled and made available as a public service by the Government Documents Department at the University of North Texas Libraries. UNT does not make any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for results obtained from the use of the information. Distribution of the information does not constitute such a warranty. Use of the information is the sole responsibility of the user.

Congressional publications such as reports, documents, and hearings provide insight into legislative history as well as extensive information on a wide range of domestic and international policy concerns.

Congress.gov
The official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.

Congressional Publications This link opens in a new window
Provides comprehensive indexing for US legislative information, with much full text from mid-1990s. Added in 2017 is full text for Congressional hearings (1824-1979), committee prints and Congressional Research Service reports (1830-2003), and unpublished hearings (House: 1973-1982; Senate: 1985-1992). UNH subscription. Dates of coverage: 1789-current

GovTrack.us: Bills & Resolutions
Information on trending bills and top bills tracked by GovTrack.us, find a bill by subject, and more.

US Congressional Serial Set This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive digital edition of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, containing reports, documents, and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, originally published in approximately 13,800 bound volumes. Funded by The James D. Merritt Memorial Book Fund. Dates of coverage: 1817-1980

Selected resources for identifying information from government agencies include

Catalog of US Government Publications
Includes publications distributed through the federal depository library program and more.
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
An investigatory arm of Congress, the GAO often reports on program evaluation and outcomes.
A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies
List of Foreign Governments
Has links to official government portals or homepages and to legislative and executive branch institutions

Also consider offices or agencies on the local or regional level