Research Guides: Political Science: US Federal and State Government

Notes

Because the University of Southern Indiana serves a tri-state region including Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, we've included links to those state legislative resources here. In order to find the official state government sites for other US states and territories, go to the State Governments listing at USA.gov. Select the state you're interested in from the drop-down menu on that page, and then click on the state's name in the Official Name box to go to the state's official government website. Additional resources for state government can be found via The National Conference of State Legislatures. You may also find a tidy guide to state law and state legislative sites at Justia.

For more links to state legislation (statutes, codes, etc.), please refer to the Law and Legislation Research Guide. The Nexis Uni database is also a useful source for state and federal statutes and legislation (particularly if you're looking for historical legislative records).

Federal and State Government Links

Note: For more detailed information about US courts and legislation, please consult the Law and Legislation Research Guide.

ProPublica Represent
A tool from ProPublica and the Google News Initiative that allows users to easily discover information about federal legislators, bills, legislative statements, and lobbyists/lobbying organizations.
GovInfo
GovInfo is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO), which is a Federal agency in the legislative branch.
The site provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. If you're not quite sure which agency has the information you need, GovInfo can be a good place to start.
The Federal Register
The daily journal of the United States government. An excellent resource for the most current available information about government activity and a ready source of government documents.
The Constitution of the United States
The Constitution and related topics and documents, via the National Archives.
The Executive Branch of the US Government
The basic entry site for the White House and its affiliated governmental agencies.
US Senate
A convenient place to find current legislative activity in the Senate, documents, contact information for senators, selected reference sources, and other information about Senate processes and proceedings.
US House of Representatives
A convenient place to find current legislative activity in the House, documents, contact information for representatives, disclosures, and other information about House processes and proceedings.
The Supreme Court of the United States
The official site for the US Supreme Court, where users will find filings, opinions, case documents, arguments, and related material.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) of the United States of America
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency charged with administering and enforcing the federal campaign finance law. The FEC has jurisdiction over the financing of campaigns for the U.S. House, Senate, Presidency and the Vice Presidency. A useful place to look for campaign finance data, regulations, election policy, etc.
USA.gov: Government Agencies and Elected Officials
Find information for federal, state, and local government agencies and elected officials. Site includes a list of government agencies and contact information for federal, state, and local government officials.
Federal Election Commission: Campaign Finance Data
See how candidates and committees raise and spend money in federal elections. This financial data helps voters make informed decisions. Includes donor database.

IN.gov
The central site for information about Indiana state government and governmental agencies.
Office of the Governor
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly website. As one of three co-equal branches of state government, the General Assembly is responsible for enacting the laws by which the state of Indiana is governed. Especially useful for tracking state legislation.
The Indiana Judicial Branch
The official site for the judicial branch of Indiana state government, including links to state courts, services, cases, and decisions.

Illinois.gov
The central site for information about Illinois state government and governmental agencies.
Illinois Executive Branch
Includes links to the offices of the Governor, Lt. Governor, Comptroller, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Attorney General of Illinois.
Illinois General Assembly
The main portal for the Illinois General Assembly, including information about the state House and Senate, legislation and the legislative process, and related documents.
Illinois Judicial Branch

Kentucky.gov
The central site for information about Kentucky state government and governmental agencies.
Office of the Governor of KY
Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky Court of Justice
Includes information about the state Supreme Court, appellate, circuit, and district courts, as well as other legal resources and administrative information.