This webpage is intended to be an online portal through which you can access other websites related to American government and politics. On this page, you will find tables with descriptions and links to websites dealing with the U.S. Federal Government and other aspects of American politics. Descriptions are included in the tables simply to save you time. We want you to know exactly what type of information each website contains before you access it. The websites listed on this page are ones that the creators of this website use personally and find beneficial in the study of American politics and government.
Click on the links below to expand the tables.
Click to Expand/Collapse Table 1: Information About the U.S. Congress
Information About the U.S. Congress
| Basic Description | Website |
|---|---|
| This webpage covers the basics of the Congressional legislative process. | Tying It All Together.gov |
| If you want to locate a particular bill or resolution passed by Congress (the 101st to present), this is the webpage you need to visit. In addition to allowing you to search for bills by typing in key words or phrases (i.e. offshore drilling), this website gives you access to the full text of the bills and resolutions. You can also search current legislation by Sponsor (The Senator or House Representative who sponsors the bill) or by topic (i.e. education). | Library of Congress.gov |
| According to information found on its homepage, this website "provides information about 400,000 bills introduced in the U.S. Congress, currently 1947-2002, along with extensive information about each bill's progress and sponsor." | Congressional Bills.org |
| For comprehensive information on how Congress operates, visit this website hosted by Indiana University. Its mission is to "help improve the public's understanding of Congress and to improve civic engagement, especially among our young people, as a way to strengthen our basic institutions of government." | The Center On Congress.org |
| This webpage serves as a directory to other government websites dealing with the Federal Legislative Branch (Congress and the agencies that support congress). | Federal Legislative Branch.gov |
| Want e-mail updates about a particular topic, bill, or representative in Congress? Then use this website's "tracking" system. Also on this website, you will find an extensive amount of non-partisan research on Congress. | Gov Track |
| According to the Congrelate homepage . . . "Congrelate lets you view, sort, filter and share information about members of Congress and their districts. We've brought data from Congress, the Census, OpenSecrets, GovTrack and more into a single place, to see the data and how it relates." | Congrelate |
Click to Expand/Collapse Table 2: Government Transparency & Fact Checking
Government Transparency & Fact Checking
| Basic Description | Website |
|---|---|
| This government website which was required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 provides users with "easy access to government contract, grant and other award data." | USA Spending.gov |
| In addition to providing access to federal campaign finance data, this website also lists and explains federal campaign finance laws and regulations. | Federal Election Commission.gov |
| Want to learn who is lobbying our representatives? Look no further than this website. | House Lobbying Disclosures |
| This website, created by the Center for Responsive Politics, provides information on campaign contributions, lobbying, and more.According to its "About Us" page, The Center For Responsive Politics mission is to, * Inform citizens about how money in politics affects their lives * Empower voters and activists by providing unbiased information * Advocate for a transparent and responsive government | Open Secrets.org |
| If you want to discern truth from fiction in the field of politics, FactCheck.org is a great place to start. According to the website, FactCheck.org is "a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding." | Fact Check.org |
| Interested in learning about how money affects politics? This is the site for you. | MAPLight |
| For raw data about the U.S. Congress, visit the Gov Track database. | Gov Track Database |
| How are the actions of Congress affecting America's "middle class" ? Find out by visiting this website. | The Middle Class |
Click to Expand/Collapse Table 3: Polling Information
Polling Information
| Basic Description | Website |
|---|---|
| This website, one of Time.com's 50 best Web sites in 2007, provides users with up to date polling data from a variety of organizations (Gallup, ABC, CNN, etc.) on a variety of topics. | Polling Report.com |
| This webpage, found on RealClearPolitics.com, provides up to date polling data from numerous organizations (Gallup, CBS/NYT, Rasmussen, etc.) along with the RCP average of the polls. | Real Clear Politics.com/polls |
| Gallup, a 70 year old polling organization, allows you, among other things, to browse its current polls by topics and questions such as, "Trust in Government Remains Low." Constantly updating polls on the top bar of Gallup's homepage include "Consumer Confidence," "Job Market," and "Standard of Living." | Gallup.com |
| Rasmussen Reports, like Gallup, is nationally recognized for its polling data. At this webpage on Rasmussen Reports website, you will find recent polling infromation and the ability to browse through past polls as well. | Rasmussen Reports |
| Zogby, a polling organization established in 1984, is another nationally recognized resource for polling data. | Zogby.com |
| Pollster.com is similar to PollingReports.com and RealClearPolitics.com in that it provides a synthesis of polling data from a variety of sources. | Pollster.com |
Click to Expand/Collapse Table 4: Informative Political Websites
Informative Political Websites
| Basic Description | Website |
|---|---|
| Check out the latest political polling numbers, news, and commentary at this independent political website. Newsweek, The New York Times, US News and World Report, as well as other major US news and political publications give this website positive reviews. | Real Clear Politics.com |
| This website, which also publishes The Politico has its own reporters and editors (reporters and editors who started their careers working for The New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, The Washington Post, and more) who cover the latest news related to subjects such as Congress, the 2008 Presidential Race, and Lobbying. One aspect of Politico is its "Speak to Power" feature which allows users to post their own views on the website. According to Politico, "The best pieces -- as judged by the vote of readers -- will also be published in the print edition, where they will be seen by lawmakers, staff and others with influence in Washington." | Politico.com |
| Project Vote Smart is the place to visit if you want to learn about a particular politician's professional background, education, voting record, etc. | ProjectVoteSmart.com |
