Political Science
From Simmons Library Research Guides
We have selected these resources to help you find relevant information on your research topic. Please contact a librarian for help using the resources listed in this guide or for help with your research process.
Contents |
Reference and Background Information
Search for Reference sources that contain information about your specific research topic here:
You may also consult the resources below for overviews of the topic that you have chosen to research. Use these resources to help you to put your topic in context and give you the big picture of what information exists about your topic. These resources may have bibliographies at the end of each entry that can help further your research.
- Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics
Simmons Eresource
This resource provides coverage of political institutions, concepts, leaders, and thinkers worldwide.
- Congressional Publications
Simmons Eresource
From the main LexisNexis page, click on the Congressional Publications link on the right under "Related Products". Perform in-depth research in public policy, historical, and legal areas of interest. The basic subscription includes abstracts and indexing for congressional publications, legislative histories, member biographies, committee assignments, voting records, and financial data; and the full text of key regulatory and statutory resources. Use LexisNexis Congressional to pinpoint expert testimony on the leading issues of the day; tap authoritative sources of statistics, projections, and analyses; discover a law's intent by tracing its legislative history; obtain information about Members of Congress; access the full text primary source congressional publications; monitor legislation and public policy on almost any topic; review the Federal regulations that implement legislation; learn the makeup and mission of congressional committees.
- CQ Electronic Library
Simmons Eresource
An online collection of publications from Congressional Quarterly that can be searched and used individually or across the collection.
- CQ Weekly
Simmons Eresource
Provides weekly coverage of the U.S. Congress, including status of bills, votes and amendments; floor and committee activity; and backroom maneuvering.
- CQ Researcher
Simmons Eresource
CQ Researcher publishes weekly reports on issues in the news, and provides thorough and up-to-date coverage on various topics such as social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Each 12,000-word report includes an overview, chronology, pro/con statements, a bibliography, and more.
- CQ Global Researcher
Simmons Eresource
Provides international perspectives on the most vital world issues with original, single-topic reports.
- Encyclopedia of Government and Politics
Level 1 Reference JA61 .C66 2004
This two volume encyclopedia has critical essays written by scholars on political science topics. Some of the contents in volume one include Political Theory, Contemporary Ideologies (liberalism, conservatism, marxism etc.), and Political Systems. Volume two includes: Theories of Policy-Making, International Relations, and Issues in World Politics.
- Encyclopedia of Politics: The Left and the Right
Level 1 Reference JA61 .E54 2005
This resource describes the terms "left" and "right" and dedicates the first volume to "individuals, movements, political parties, and ideological principles" on the left and the second volume focuses on conservative viewpoints. 450 articles provide detailed and well organized information with images, cross referencing, and a bibliography. A timeline is also helpful.
- Glossary of Political Economy Terms
Free Online
Dr. Paul M. Johnson of Auburn University gives definitions of terms used by political economists.
- Information Sources of Political Science
Level 1 Reference JA71 .I543 2005
This resource is an annotated bibliography of Political Science reference sources. Literature guides, indexing services, dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and directories are suggested for areas such as Social Sciences, Political Theory and Theorists, International Relations and more!
- Palgrave Macmillan Dictionary of Political Thought
Level 1 Reference JA61 .S37 2007
Defines political terms and ideas in an easy-to-use, but detailed way. The terms range from commonly used ones such as civil rights, to more in-depth ones such as "social choice," and realpolitik."
- The Routledge Encyclopedia of International Political Economy
Level 1 Reference HF1359 .R68 2001
Economic terms and concepts defined from Adam Smith to zero sum games.
U.S. Government
- Budget of the United States Government
Level 1 Reference HJ2051 .A59
Provides the federal budget for the fiscal year 2008 for all government departments, such as Agriculture and Education. Contained are explanations of department responsibilities, side-by-side comparisons with budgets from previous years, and the goals for each department, and how the money will be used.
- Congress and the Nation
Simmons Eresource
This source covers the American Congress from 1945-2004. It provides legislative histories, voting records, policy analysis, and more. Browse by topic, year, subject index, or search by keyword. "Key Vote Tables" encapsulate Congressional action on important issues.
- Congressional Quarterly's American Congressional Dictionary
Level 1 Reference JK9 .K73 2001
Anyone looking to understand terms used by U.S. Congress will find this book indispensable. Terms from "Absence of a Quorum" to "Zone Whip" are defined by staff at the Congressional Research Service, for Congressional Quarterly, which is a unbiased private reporting company.
- Desk Reference on American Government
Level 1 Reference JK274 .W449 2000
This book is an excellent quick reference tool to find out basic U.S. government facts and figures. This resource states the common questions and answers to the following areas: the Government (historic documents, landmarks, finances, war, scandals), the Presidency, Congress (laws, sessions, committees), Campaigns and Elections, Supreme Court cases and the U.S Constitution.
- Directory of Congressional Voting Scores and Interest Group Ratings
Level 1 Reference JK1051 .S555 2006
This source is useful in determining the actual political tendencies of Congressional incumbents. This source provides a "compilation of CQ voting studies and interest group rating data for every legislator who has served in Congress from 1947 to 2004."
- Encyclopedia of Federal Agencies and Commissions
Level 1 Reference JK9 .H536 2004
Describes departments of the executive branch, independent entities and commissions, quasi-official agencies, the legislative branch, the judicial branch and federal court system, and the constitution. Entires are very informative and many include the functions for these branches and offices, organization, management, and contact information.
- Federal Staff Directory
Level 1 Reference JK641 .F42
The comprehensive directory of federal staff includes sections on the executive office of the president, executive departments, independent agencies, quasi-official, international, and non-government organizations. Entires include a description of responsibilities, contact information, and the names of chiefs and directors who work in these departments. Additionally, this source includes federal executive biographies, a subject index, and an index of individuals.
- GPO
Simmons Eresource
Government Printing Office contains U.S. government resources and covers all types of U.S. government documents, including: Congressional reports, hearings, debates, and records; judiciary materials; documents issued by executive departments (Defense, State, Labor, Office of the President, etc.)
- Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court
Level 1 Reference KF8742 .W567 2004
This reference source is made up of two volume and provides historical content about the origins and development of the U.S. Supreme Court, descriptions of the federal system, pressures, cases, operations and traditions, people, courtroom and costs, and members of the court. Also includes brief biographies and pictures of each of the 108 individuals who have served as justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Historical Guide to the U.S. Government
Level 1 Reference JK9 .H57 1998
This reference source takes a historical approach to understanding U.S. Government, and includes entires on agencies, departments, bureaus, and other government branches. Entries are arranged alphabetically, run several pages long, include a fairly extensive bibliographies, and some include black and white images.
- Organization Charts
Level 1 Reference HD38 .O738 2000
- Oxford Guide to the United States Government
Simmons Eresource
"Compiled by three leading scholars, [this resource] contains the key figures, events, and structures that have animated U.S. government for more than 200 years. In addition to coverage of the 2000 Presidential race and election, it features biographies of all the Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Supreme Court Justices, as well as notable members of Congress, including current leadership; historical commentary on past elections, major Presidential decisions, international and domestic programs, and the key advisors and agencies of the executive branch; in-depth analysis of Congressional leadership and committees, agencies and staff, and historic legislation; and detailed discussions of 100 landmark Supreme Court cases and the major issues facing the Court today. Other entries define legal terms and phrases and elaborate on the wide array of government traditions." -Oxford Reference Online
- Politics in America
Simmons Eresource
This source provides in-depth coverage of every member of the United States Congress and all state governor, including biography, election results, contact information, key votes, and interest group ratings. State profiles include salary information for governors and state legislators, population and voter demographics, and election information. The appendix includes US territories profiles, Congressional Committees data, Congressional demographic analysis, campaign finance reports, election analysis, and seniority reports.
- President's Position: Debating the Issues in Pro and Con Primary Documents
Level 1 Reference E176.1 .P923 2003
This six volume series provides in-depth information about the policies, political stances, and historical context surrounding each U.S president from Taylor to Clinton. Actual speeches, statements, and remarks from the presidents are provided.
- Supreme Court Yearbook
Simmons Eresource
Clear and in-depth analysis of every decision made by the nation's highest court since the 1989-1990 term.
- United States Government Manual
Level 1 Reference JK421 .A3
This is the official handbook of the federal government. Contains comprehensive information about the three branches of government, the federal departments, and the many other organizations that receive federal funds, such as the National Endowment for the Arts.
- Vital Statistics on American Politics
Simmons Eresource
This source provides information about political parties, elections, public opinions, and voting. It provides historic and current information about members of each branch of the federal government; analysis of foreign, military, economic, and social policy; and even key data about the role and relationship of the media in American politics.
- Washington Information Directory
Free Online
This source provides short descriptions of and contact information for government agencies and NGO's.
State and Municipal Government
- Book of the States
Level 1 Reference JK2403 .B6
An annual publication that compiles important, up to date information about all fifty states, focusing on laws and government structure that may have changed since the previous year. Most of the information is in table form, and includes comparisons of federal aid received, state legislatures, and much more.
- General Laws of Massachusetts
Level 1 Reference KFM2420 .M3andFree Online
Includes the full text of the Massachusetts state Constitution, as well as the entire United States Constitution, Massachusetts state laws, state government organization and responsibility, and much more.
- Massachusetts Municipal Directory
Level 1 Reference JS451.M47 M33
Created by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, this directory lists all the cities and towns in Massachusetts and provides important demographic and statistical information. It also provides the names and contact information of city officials. Examples of information include: population, registered voters, school enrollment, square miles of town, income per capita, medium family income, town clerk, fire department, town finance office, housing, Library Director etc.
- Massachusetts Municipal Profiles
Level 1 Reference HA431 .M37
This annually updated book provides concise, but detailed profiles of all of the cities, towns, counties, and villages in Massachusetts. Includes information on population demographics, local libraries, crime rates, and much more.
- Massachusetts Political Almanac
Level 1 Reference JK3130 .A6
This source provides information about all branches of the state government, the U.S. Congressional delegation from Massachusetts, public interest groups, and state agencies. Biographical and contact information, as well as statistics on key votes, priorities, and organization memberships are included for all state office incumbents.
- Municipal Year Book
Level 1 Reference JS342.A2 I52
This book is a close examination of local and state governments, and how they are changing, and handling the issues that affect the country, such as a climate change.
World Government
- Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook
Level 1 Reference G122. C67
A compilation of U.S. Department of State reports on contemporary political and economic conditions, government personnel and policies, political parties, religions, history, education, press, radio and TV, climate, and other characteristics of selected countries of the world.
- Encyclopedia of World Political Systems
Level 1 Reference JF51 .D465 2000
This two volume reference resource focuses on political systems, nation-states as well as different constitutions, ideologies, political executives, legislatures, elections, political parties, empires, colonies, and international cooperation. Tables, maps, and statistics are included in the entries.
- European Political Facts
Level 1 Reference JN9 .B3
Use this book series to find out all you need to know about European political history. Each volume in this series covers a different year range, each one approximately covering between seventy and one hundred and fifty years (for example, 1648-1789 or 1900-1993. Each book contains a chronology of leaders for different nations, glossaries of notable people and places, lists of important battles, and much more information about the people and ideas that influenced Europe.
- Legal Systems of the World
Level 1 Reference K48 .L44 2002
A four volume encyclopedia that discusses the political, social, and cultural aspects of legal principles and systems from all over the world. You can look up an American state or a country and find information about the government structure, legal codes, the judicial system, high courts, and much more. You can also look up legal terminology and concepts for in-depth definitions and discussion.
- Oxford Companion to Politics of the World
Level 1 Reference JA61 .O95 2001
This is an encyclopedia to the people, issues, and ideas that influence politics all over the world, organized alphabetically.
- Political Handbook of the World
Simmons Eresource
Comprehensive country profiles chronicling national history, government, and political parties, as well as profiles on intergovernmental organizations, development banks, and the agencies and specialized bodies of the United Nations.
Political Parties
- Encyclopedia of the Republican Party
Level 1 Reference JK2352 .E56 1997
This two volume encyclopedia contains the history of the republican party, stances on political issues, biographies of important republican politicians, and much more.
- Encyclopedia of the Democratic Party
Level 1 Reference JK2312 .E55 1997
A two volume encyclopedia of the important political issues (such as abortion and raising the minimum wage), historical and contemporary figures, elections, conventions, and much more.
- Encyclopedia of Third Parties in America
Level 1 Reference JK2261 .E474 2000
A three volume history of all of the third party movements in America, dating as far back as the 1700's, and going right up through modern times. Also included are maps of party voters, in-depth analysis and discussion of individual parties and party movements,and biographies of important historical figures connected with the parties.
- Political Parties of the World
Level 1 Reference JF2051 .D39 2002
This encyclopedia provides information about every political party around the world, organized alphabetically by country. Each entry describes the political stances,principles, leadership, election results, and much more.
Political Party Sites:
- Communist Party USA
- Consitution Party (formerly US Taxpayers Party)
- Democratic Party
- Green Party
- Labor Party
- Libertarian Party
- Reform Party
- Republican Party
Lobbies and Citizen Action
- Public Interest Group Profiles
Level 1 Reference JK1118 .P79 2004-05
A 2004-2005 guide to some of the most politically influential public affairs groups in contemporary politics. Each group is listed alphabetically, and each section contains contact information, the group's mission and purpose, concerns, methods of operation, and analysis of the group's effectiveness and methods.
- Washington Representatives
Level 1 Reference JK1118 .D58 2007
An up-to-date directory of the Washington D.C lobbyists, consultants, legal advisors, special interest groups, and other important figures that work directly with congress. Each listing contains contact information, and a list of political clients.
Issues
- Encyclopedia of American Social Movements
Level 1 Reference HN57 .E594 2004
A four volume encyclopedia that extensively discusses influential social movements in America. Movements discussed civil, labor, religious, antiwar, and student movements.
- Politics Line
Free Online
Provides political commentaries from over 150 of America's greatest pundits updated daily. Commentaries are presented as Left or Right on the political spectrum.
- Social Issues in America
Level 1 Reference HN57 .S624 2006
This eight-volume encyclopedia is a good resource for thorough, introductory reading on current social problems. Each signed, essay-length entry includes a bibliography, websites, a glossary, and the text of relevant official documents at the end. Although the essays are organized in alphabetical order, the excellent Topic Finder at the beginning of each volume helps locate the narrower topics within larger issues such as "Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Issues" and "Health and Medicine Issues."
Finding Articles
Below are suggested databases and indexes for articles on the topic that you have chosen to research. These databases include articles from newspapers, magazines and scholarly journals. Articles are shorter and more narrowly focused than books or reference materials so you should use them after you have narrowed your topic.
- Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO)
Simmons Eresource
The most comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs. It publishes a wide range of scholarship that includes working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals and policy briefs. All sections are updated monthly.
- JSTOR
Simmons Eresource
JSTOR offers both multidisciplinary and discipline-specific collections. Provides full-text backfiles of many core scholarly journals, some dating back to the 1800s. However, JSTOR is not the database for current issues as it focuses on older journals.
- Project MUSE
Simmons Eresource
Offers nearly 250 quality journal titles from 40 scholarly publishers. As one of the academic community's primary electronic periodicals resources, Project MUSE covers the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and many others. Project MUSE is setting the standard for scholarly electronic journals in the humanities and social science.
- Lexis Nexis Academic
Simmons Eresource
Provides searchable access to a comprehensive spectrum of full-text information from over 5,600 sources--including non-English language sources--selected to meet academic research needs. Included are national and regional newspapers, wire services, broadcast transcripts, international news, U.S. Federal and state case law, codes, regulations, legal news, law reviews, and international legal information, Shepard's Citations for all U.S. Supreme Court cases back to 1789, business news journals, company financial information, SEC filings and reports, industry and market news, statistics, and medical information.
- PAIS
Simmons Eresource
The PAIS International database from CSA contains references to more than 553,300 journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. This resource includes publications from over 120 countries throughout the world. In addition to English, some of the indexed materials are published in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
- Social Sciences Index
Simmons E-resource
A database of abstracts and full-text articles from several social science publications. Updated weekly.
- Academic Search Complete
Simmons Eresource
Academic Search Complete is a great place to start your search for both popular and scholarly articles, no matter what your topic is! It contains journals from almost every topic and is designed specifically for academic institutions. It provides more than 5,300 full-text periodicals, 4,400 of which are peer-reviewed journals. This resource also features content as far back as 1865.
- Academic Onefile
Simmons Eresource
Academic Onefile contains 8,000 academic journals, the majority in full-text, available in HTML and PDF formats. In addition it contains hundreds of podcasts and transcripts from NPR, CNN, and the CBC.
- Expanded Academic ASAP
Simmons Eresource
From arts and the humanities to social sciences, science and technology, this database meets research needs across all academic disciplines. Access scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images. Updated daily.
TIP: Use the Advanced Search for a more precise search!
- Social Science Citation Index -- ISI Web of Science
Simmons Eresource
This resource finds article citations and abstracts from almost two thousand scholarly journals related to the social sciences, and the fields that make up the social sciences, such as economics and political science.
Note: Full text of the cited articles is not available through Social Science Citation Index. Click the link that says "Check for Full-Text Availability" to determine if the library has access to the article. Remember, if we do not have the entire article, it can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.
Searching the Web
Simmons librarians have created a customized search engine that allows you to find Political Science information on the free web. Use this Political Science Google Custom Search box to search all select, quality free web sites at the same time:
You may also consider going directly to, or bookmarking, the Political Science Google Custom Search
Tips for Searching the Internet:
- Use the advanced search function, which is available from most search engines:
- Google - See also "Advanced Search Tips"
- Ask - Click "Advanced." See also "Advanced Search Tips"
- Live (MSN) - See also "Options"
- Exalead - See also "Exalead FAQ"
- Yahoo! Search
- Limit your search to .edu and .gov sites. These often provide quality research, statistics, and commentary. Sites ending in .org often have good information, too, but are likely to espouse a strong stance or bias on the issues they cover and may not be objective.
- Try Scandoo, which presents search results from Google, Yahoo! Search, or Live (MSN) with an evaluation about the objectivity, credibility, and overall reliability of the site.
- Consider using a directory of pre-screened, annotated sites:
Writing Style and Citation
For more information on style and citation for this discipline, please contact the Simmons College Writing Center
You may also consider consulting these resources:
- Writing Resources
Free Online
The Writing Center provides online resources for citing your research. If you are unsure of which citation style to use, consult your professor and consider the following:- Use APA (American Psychological Association) when your topic is in the Social Sciences
- Use ASA (American Sociological Association) when your topic is in Sociology
- Use MLA (Modern Language Association) when your topic is in the Humanities
- Use Chicago/Turabian when your topic is in Literature, History or the Arts
- Use CSE (Council of Science Editors) when your topic is in the Sciences
- RefWorks
Simmons Eresource
RefWorks is a great program for organizing articles, books, and other materials you need for research. You can also use RefWorks to create bibliographies, create in text citations in your paper (Write-N-Cite), and share your research with others. Access RefWorks from the A-Z list of resources on the library's web page, and then follow the instructions to create your own username and password. We hold RefWorks Clinics throughout the semester. For more information, ask a reference librarian
