General Political Science Resources
Online Resources
Lexis-Nexis Academic SMU Only
Major source for information about current events. Contains newspapers articles, news transcripts, poll / survey data and some statistical information (for 50 states and countries).
Academic Search
Complete SMU Only
Contains full text of articles from over 600 political science academic journals and popular magazines. A good source for information about national as well as international politics.
JSTOR SMU Only
Contains journal articles dating from the 19 th century to the present day. For a list of Political Science journals available through J-STOR, see:
www.jstor.org/browse#Political+Science.
Reference Resources - Fondren Library Center Reference
Collection
Encyclopedia of World Political Systems JF51 .D465 2000
Offers a general overview of political theories (e.g., the nation-state), ideologies (e.g., Communism), systems (e.g., parliamentary), mechanisms (e.g., constitutions) and institutions (e.g., political parties), as well as individual entries on each nation-state and its political history (organized by region, e.g., Oceania). 2 volume set.
Encyclopedia of Government and Politics JA61 .C66 2004
Features articles on such topics as conceptions of justice, bureaucracies, identity politics, privatization, terrorism, and genocide by significant scholars in the discipline (Luigi Manzetti, Jeffery W. Hahn, Ronald H. Chilcote, and others). Articles are arranged by broad topic – political theory; contemporary ideologies; contemporary political systems; political institutions; political forces; policy-making; and major issues in contemporary world politics. Also features suggestions for further reading and research. 2 volume set.
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National Politics and the Federal Government
CQ Electronic Library SMU Only
Features the full text of special reports on current issues, government policy and Congressional activities published by Congressional Quarterly (CQ)
Press.
GPOAccess http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS23052
Features full text for U.S. laws, U.S. Congressional hearings transcripts, federal regulations, Executive Orders, U.S. Supreme Court decisions and more. Arranged by branch of government. Coverage is limited to ca. 1995 to present. Hosted by the Government Printing Office (GPO), a federal agency.
Thomas http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.html
Find information about Congressional activities (bills, floor debate, votes, etc.) from 1973 to present. From 1989 to present, full text of bills, etc. is available. Some full-text links will take you to GPOAccess (see above).
C-Span http://www.c-span.org/
Features streaming video and audio from the House and Senate of the United States Congress. Also features some original programming of interest (e.g., "American Perspectives").
Polling Report http://www.pollingreport.com/
Brings together all the major national poll results (Gallup, Zogby, etc.). Polls may be browsed by topic (e.g., "National Security").
Reference Resources - Fondren Library Center Reference
Collection
CQ's Politics in America JK1012
Contains
biographical information about elected officials for each of the 50
states, including summaries of each Congressional representative's votes
on the floor of Congress. Congressional district maps for each State
appear at the beginning of each chapter. Some basic election,
population, and demographic statistics are also included. Chapters are
arranged alphabetically by State, and entries are arranged
alphabetically by district number.
America Votes JK1967 .A8
This publication bills itself as the "handbook of contemporary American election statistics". Includes detailed tables on Presidential, Congressional, Gubernatorial, and primary elections for each State. Also includes some historical tables (e.g., "Postwar Vote for Senator"). Entries are arranged alphabetically by State. Issued every 2 years by CQ Press.
Congress and the Nation KF49 .C65
Compiles CQ Press' reporting on national governmental activities, elections and public policy decisions. Information is presented both in the form of chronologies and in the form of comprehensive articles on specific topics (e.g., "Agricultural Policy", "Trade Policy", etc.). Also includes citations to primary source government documents of significance: laws, Congressional hearings, Executive Orders, and more. Issued every 4 years by CQ Press. The first volume in this set covers the period from 1945/1964; the latest volume, 1997/2001.
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State and Local Politics
TRAIL http://purl.oclc.org/NET/SMULIBS/CUL/GIRMP/TX/TRAIL
A "one-stop shop" for state executive agency information online. Browse by agency (e.g., Texas Department of Transportation) or search for online publications.
The Texas Legislature Online http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/
The gateway to state legislative resources online: the State constitution; State statutes; State administrative law; legislative research reports; hearings and committee reports; and more.
Texas Secretary of State http://www.sos.state.tx.us/
Features state election resources (results going back to 1992, election law opinions, etc.), State regulatory resources and information made available by the Texas Border and Mexican Affairs Division.
DFWInfo http://www.dfwinfo.com/
Features regional information, including: demographic, transportation,
and environmental data; information on community groups; and directories
to municipal and county offices. Hosted by the North Central Texas
Council of Governments. (For more specific directory information see
Dallas County Online, http://www.dallascounty.org/, and the City of Dallas Online, http://www.dallascityhall.com/.)
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Global Politics, International Relations, & Foreign Governments
Foreign Affairs Online http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjb3v/rjb.html
A compendium of links to web resources dealing with international relations, international law, and United States foreign policy . Arranged by broad topic. Also offers a mix of "official" (i.e., government-sponsored) and "unofficial" (e.g., "think tank") resources; IGOs (Intergovernmental organizations) and NGOs (Nongovernmental organizations) are also covered. This site is authored by Dr. Robert J. Beck , Director of Academic Technology and Adjunct Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for International Education.
Treaties in Force http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS4126
Divided into 2 parts. Part 1 includes bilateral treaties and other international agreements listed by country or other international entity with subject headings under each entry. Part 2 lists multilateral treaties and other international agreements to which the United States is a party, arranged by subject with a listing of the parties to that agreement. Only the most recent edition of this publication is available online; older paper editions are available at the Underwood Law Library. Hosted by the U.S. Department of State.
Reference Resources - Fondren Library Center Reference
Collection
Encyclopedia of the United Nations KZ4968 .O4 2003
Features brief entries on a wide variety of subjects related to the United Nations and international relations. Where possible, the full text of international agreements (e.g., The World Health Organization Constitution) are reprinted with the entry. Entries are arranged alphabetically and feature references to related entries as well as suggestions for further reading and research. 3 volume set.
Yearbook of the United Nations JX1977 .A37Y4
Compiles all proceedings and decisions made by this organization.
Includes the full text of the UN Secretary-General's Report. Chapters
are arranged by subject (e.g., "Human Rights", "Economic and Social
Questions"), and individual entries contain citations to primary source
UN documents of interest. Published annually by the UN.
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