General Honors 2230 Honors Social Science Colloquium: Government Information

Databases maintained by federal agencies, executive branch

Law reviews provide historic background of thorny issues and discuss current developments that have been challenging for government. . Once inside the database, select "Law Journal Library." Search and sort results by relevance.

This is one example of a congressional committee which deals with scientific issues. Check out its subcommittees. A search in the upper-right box brings up recent hearings, bills, etc. Committee websites may have only the newest releases available. For older publications, use Proquest Congressional instead. To see a full list of all congressional committees, go to https://www.congress.gov/committees

Premier source for congressional publications, both historic and current. Members of Congress look at CRS Reports and Hearings to find pros and cons of science policy. Just select "Hearings" and "CRS Reports" document types in the interface. To find justifications for appropriation requests, include the word "appropriations" in your search strategy. Choose the "Congressional Record" document type only if you are having trouble finding enough information. It will bring up congressional speeches in the House and Senate, and as a full text search, this could retrieve MANY results.

How much money does the government devote to agencies and their programs? Be sure to look at Overview, Analytical Perspectives, and Historical Tables in the left navigation bar. Older issues of the federal budget are available in the library in paper copy.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. It audits agency operations to determine whether federal funds are being spent efficiently and effectively, and reports on how well government programs and policies are meeting their objectives.

If you see a reference to a bill, a regulation, a decision, or some other document type, check the MU Libraries' Gov Docs Home Page for an alphabetical list of where to find them. Covers both state and federal government.