University of Texas Libraries - Information for Undergraduate Students

Find Government Information

Google US Government Search: Find web pages from government and military agencies (.gov and .mil sites).

FirstGov: Find federal, local, tribal and international government information, including your elected officials. Research by government agency or by topics.
GPO Access (Government Printing Office): Find official publications, such as Bills, Laws and Acts, from the Federal Government. Research by branch or by topic.

American Presidency Project: Find over 30,000 primary source historical documents, including presidential papers. Listen to State of the Union addresses or watch Inaugural Addresses. Includes presidential election data from 1828 to 2000.
White House: Find information about the current administration including cabinet members, press briefings, major speeches and more.
Guide to the Presidency, JK 516 C57 2002, 2 vols., PCL Reference: Find scholarly articles about presidents from George Washington to George W. Bush.

U.S. Supreme Court: Find court opinions, a historical overview of the Court and brief biographies of current Justices.
LexisNexis Academic: Choose Legal from the tabs at the top of the screen.; To search articles published in law reviews: Enter your search terms on the initial Legal search screen and choose U.S. and Canadian Law Reviews, Combined as a source.; To search for federal and state cases: Under Legal Searches on the left-hand side of the screen, choose Federal and State Cases and enter your search terms. Use the Sources dropdown menu to narrow your search to “Federal Court Cases, Combined” or “State Court Cases, Combined.”

LexisNexis Congressional: Find bills, laws, regulations and more. Includes current status of bills.
CQ's Politics in America, JK 1012 P64, PCL (current volumes in Reference; older volumes in the stacks): Profiles of current members of Congress, their key votes, and information about their home districts.

Note: For more legal research info, see Find Legal Information.

Declassified Documents Reference System (DDRS): Find previously classified government documents.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): Find images of historical documents including the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and the Civil Rights Act.

Vanderbilt University's Election Site: Find recommended sites regarding the 2004 Election, election statistics and polls, campaign finance reform, election reform and more.
Elections A to Z, JK 1976 M57 2003 PCL Reference: Find articles explaining how campaigns and elections work.

State of Texas Government Information: Official portal for Texas government information including background information, laws and statutes, the court system and more.
Texas Legislature Online: Learn about the legislative process in Texas. Search for bills by bill number or keyword. Find members of the Texas legislature.
Essentials of Texas Politics, JK 4816 K68 2004 PCL: Comprehensive overview of Texas' governmental structure, economy, public policy issues, and elections.

Austin City Connection: Find city departments and services, city council minutes, demographics and more.
Official Web Site of Travis County: Find county departments, voting information, the county budget and more.

Background Notes (U.S. Department of State): Country profiles written by the Department of State which include overviews of geography, history, government, political conditions, economy, U.S. and foreign relations.; Hint: Site only includes nations with which the U.S. has relations
CIA World Fact Book: Current, basic country reports written by the CIA which include geography, people, economy, communications, transportation, military and more.
The Statesman's Yearbook, JA 51 S7, PCL Reference and PCL Stacks: Find current political, economic, and cultural profiles of every nation.

How can I find statistics collected by the government?: See Find Statistics
Where can I find tax forms and other tax information?: Tax Forms and Publications
How can I track a bill through Congress?: See www.govtrack.us and click on “Bill Search.”