Carnegie Mellon University Libraries

History:

History and Policy

Associations, Organizations, and Institutes Background Books Government Resources Internet Guides Journal and Magazine Articles

Journals Laws and Legal Research Newspaper Articles Policy Papers Statistical Resources Ask the History Librarian

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Associations, Organizations, and Institutes

These groups can be a good source of information on policy issues. For others, see History: Associations, Organizations, and Institutes and NIRA's World Directory of Think Tanks (National Institute for Research Advancement).

• American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI)
  Independent, non-profit organization which researches all areas of public policy. Commentary, newsletter, annual report, jobs/internships, links, etc.

• Brookings (The Brookings Institution)
  Private, independent, non-profit research organization that deals with public policy issues. Policy briefs, press releases on different subjects, etc. Also includes access to full-text digital versions of 100 complete titles.

• Cato Institute
  Non-partisan public policy research foundation. News, policy analysis, links, etc.

• Center for History and Policy (Carnegie Mellon University)

• Heritage Foundation
  Non-partisan research and educational institute which formulates and promotes conservative public policies. News and Views, policy papers, job bank, internships, links, etc.

• Rand
  Non-partisan and non-profit public policy research institution. Publications, educational and employment opportunities, etc.

• Resources For The Future (RFF)
  Non-profit, non-partisan organization that deals with environmental and natural resource issues. Project summaries, reports, discussion papers, etc.

• The Urban Institute
  Non-profit policy research organization. Policy briefs, fact sheets and press releases, job listings, etc.

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Background

Sometimes you may need some information to get more familiar with your topic. Below are some materials that can provide background on policy issues and their history.

• Bacon, Donald C., Roger H. Davidson and Morton Keller, eds. The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress. 4 vols. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.
  HUNT REF-1 JK1067 .E63 1995
  Articles describing particular laws, issues and the relevant legislation, with good, brief summaries of landmark legislation for those issues (e.g. social welfare and poverty). An excellent starting place for understanding the legislation on particular issues, especially from a historical point of view.

• Blank, Robert H. and Janna C. Merrick, eds. Encyclopedia of U.S. Biomedical Policy. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996.
  HUNT REF-1 RA395 .A3 E545 1996

• CQ Almanac Online Edition (Carnegie Mellon user only)
  1946-present.
  Search or browse the full text of the below annual publication detailing congressional actions. Gives authoritative coverage of the people, elections, legislation, and controversies in the U.S. Congress.
• Congressional Quarterly Almanac. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1948-present (updated annually).
  HUNT REF-1 JK1 .C66
  HUNT JOUR-3
  Annual publication detailing congressional actions. Major legislation will often have an article outlining the key points of the legislation, some history, relevant documents, and votes, etc. An excellent starting point for understanding a piece of legislation. Latest 4 years are in Hunt Reference, earlier volumes are shelved by title on the 3rd floor.

• Congressional Research Service Reports
  The Congressional Research Service (CRS) works exclusively for Congress, providing confidential, nonpartisan research and analysis on all types of issues. CRS does not make its publications directly available on the Web. Below are some sites for finding these reports:
  • Congressional Research Service Reports (M.G. Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington)
    Guides and resources for finding CRS reports.
  • Congressional Research Service [CRS] Reports (Federation of American Scientists)
  • Congressional Research Service Reports (National Library for the Environment)
    Search or browse research reports on all topics.
  • CRS Reports (Congressional Research Service Reports Hosted by UNT Libraries)

  If a CRS report was included in a hearing, report or testimony before Congress, it may also be found using Congressional Universe (see below).

• CQ Researcher Plus Archive (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1923-present (updated weekly).
  Available: CQ Electronic Library
  Searchable, full text publication which covers current policy issues, with views from all sides. Each article usually contains an abstract, executive summary, issues, background, chronology, current situation and bibliography.

• CQ Weekly Report. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1971-present (updated weekly).
  HUNT JOUR-3
  CQ Weekly Report (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1983-present (updated weekly).
  Available: CQ Electronic Library
  Weekly publication detailing congressional actions. Major legislation will often have an article outlining the key points of the legislation, along with some history. Latest 2 years are in Hunt Reference, earlier volumes are shelved by title on the 3rd floor.

• Dictionary of American History, 10 vols. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, c2003.
  HUNT REF-1 E174 .D52 2003
  Basic encyclopedia covering all aspects of American history. Supplemental volumes have articles on welfare, social security, etc.

• Gibney, Matthew J. and Randall Hansen, ed. Immigration and Asylum from 1900 to Present. (Carnegie Mellon users only) 3 vols. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2005.

• Grossman, Mark. Encyclopedia of the United States Cabinet. 3 vols. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, c2000.
  HUNT REF-1 E176 .G89 2000

Herrick, John M. and Paul H. Stuart, eds. Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History in North America. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications Ltd., c2005.
HUNT REF-1 HV12 .E497 2005
• Hirschfelder, Arlene B. Encyclopedia of Smoking and Tobacco. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1999.
  HUNT REF-1 HV5760 .H57 1999

• Jackson, Byron M. Encyclopedia of American Public Policy. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, c1999.
  HUNT REF-1 JK468.P64 J33 1999

• Katz, Stanley N., ed. Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History. (Carnegie Mellon users only) New York : Oxford University Press, c2009.

• Kurian, George T. ed. The Encyclopedia of the Republican Party and The Encyclopedia of the Democratic Party 4 vols. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 1997.
  HUNT REF-1 JK2352 .E56 1997
  Vol. 1-2. The Encyclopedia of the Republican Party; vols. 3-4. The Encyclopedia of the Democratic Party.

• Kurian, George T., ed. A Historical Guide to the U.S. Government. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
  HUNT REF-1 JK9 .H57 1998
  Articles on the history of departments and agencies of the federal government.

• Kutler, Stanley I., ed. Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century. 5 vols. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996.
  HUNT REF-1 E740.7 .E53 1996
  Arranged by broad topics, this covers all aspects of American history in the 20th century. Volume one has a lengthy article on social welfare. Use Volume 5 (Index) to find particular aspects of public policy.

• Levy, Leonard W. and Kenneth L. Karst, eds. Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. 6 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, c2000.
  HUNT REF-1 KF4548 .E53 2000

• Ness, Immanuel. Encyclopedia of Interest Groups and Lobbyists in the United States. 2 vols. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, c2000.
  HUNT REF-1 JK1118 .N47 2000

• Ness, Immanuel and James Ciment, eds. Encyclopedia of Third Parties in America. 3 vols. Armonk, N.Y.: Sharpe Reference, c2000.
  HUNT REF-1 JK2261 .E474 2000

• Patrick, John J., Richard M. Pious, and Donald A. Ritchie. The Oxford Guide to the United States Government. [Oxford]: Oxford University Press, 2002.

• Rovner, Julie. Health Care Policy and Politics A to Z. Washington, DC: CQ Press, c2000.
  HUNT REF-1 RA395 .A3 R685 2000

• Shafritz, Jay M., ed. International Encyclopedia of Public Policy and Administration. 4 vols. Boulder: Westview Press, 1998.
  HUNT REF-1 H97 .I574 1998
  Covers all areas of public policy, with many articles giving historical background as well as current and future perspectives on policy issues.

• Silbey, Joel H., ed. Encyclopedia of the American Legislative System: Studies of the Principal Structures, Processes, and Policies of Congress and the State Legislatures Since the Colonial Era. 3 vols. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1996.
  HUNT REF-1 JF501 .E53 1994

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Books

• Cameo, Carnegie Mellon's library catalog
  Search to find books in the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries.

• Worldcat (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Search to find books in libraries throughout the world.

If we don't have the books, you can use Illiad, the interlibrary loan service (usually takes about 7-10 days) or EZ Borrow (books get here in about 3-5 days).

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Government Resources

Statistics Legislation Regulation

Additional Information Gray Literature

The United States Government is a good source of data and other types of materials. Below are some of the most useful for policy issues. See also the Congressional Research Service Reports.

For statistical information from government sources, see:

• Fedstats
  Gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies
• LexisNexis Statistical (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  ca. 1973-present.
  Search citations and abstracts to statistical publications from federal, state, international sources as well as private organizations. Recent publications may have links to those available online. In addition, many of these publications (especially federal, state and private organizations) are available in Hunt Library on microfiche (1978-present for federal, 1980-present for state and private organizations), with some older ones available in print. Ask at the reference desk for assistance in locating the publications you need.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States
  Full text: 1878-present.
  A compendium of statistics on all subjects gathered by the federal government.

For legislative information see:

• Proquest Congressional (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  ca. 1789-present (coverage and updates vary).
  Full text of Congressional Hearings both published (1824-present) and unpublished (1824-ca. 1984), & the Serial Set, 1789-2003 (House and Senate documents and reports, Senate executive reports, and Senate treaty documents). You can also search the Congressional Record (1985-present), the Federal Register (1980-present), the United States Code, Statutes at Large (1789-present), etc. See the Content Coverage Chart for complete details.

• U.S. Federal Legislative History Library in HeinOnline (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Collection of full-text legislative histories on some of the most important and historically significant legislation of our time. In addition to major complete legislative histories this collection includes texts related to legislative histories. A legislative history is the collection of documents that are produced in Congress during the enactment of a law.

• Thomas (Library of Congress)
  Legislative information on the Internet.

For regulatory information see:

• HeinOnline Federal Register Library (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  The Federal Register Library contains:
  • Federal Register, 1936 to the present
  • Federal Register Indexes, 1939-present
  • Code of Federal Regulations, 1938-present
  • Administrative Procedure Act 1944-1946
  • Code of Emergency Federal Regulations 1965
  • U. S. Government Manual, 1935-present
  • Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, 1965-present

• LexisNexis Congressional (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Search and display full text of
  • Code of Federal Regulations
    1981-present
  • Federal Register
    1980-present
• Code of Regulations (GPO Access)
  1996-present
• Code of Federal Regulations (Legal Information Institute, Cornell University)
  Most recent version placed on the Internet by the Government Printing Office.
• Federal Register (GPO Access)
  1994-present.
• Regulations.gov
  Central online rulemaking portal of the United States government. Search by keyword or department or agency.

For additional government publications, see:

• GPO Monthly Catalog
  Online: 1976-present (updated monthly).
  Available: GPO Monthly Catalog (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Print: 1900-1996.
  HUNT REF-1/INDEX
  Citations to documents printed by the U.S. Government.
• HELIOS
  Electronic access to portions of the congressional papers of the late Senator H. John Heinz III of Pennsylvania. By choosing "Advanced Search," you can restrict your search to a particular "Document Type," so this is a good database to use if you need an example of a memorandum or press release.
• Patent and Government Document Indices
  Available: 19th Century Masterfile (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  ca. 1774-1897.

For gray literature, that is, reports or materials that do not go through normal publication channels, see:

• GrayLit Network: A Science Portal of Technical Reports

Government websites can also provide useful information such as press releases, policy statements, budget information, and other types of statistics. To see other government resources, you might want to search:

• FedWorld (offers ways to search government web sites, reports, and databases),
• National Contact Center (Federal Citizen Information Center) (searchable site of government information with topical gateways).

Some relevant federal departments and agencies include:

• Department of Agriculture
  • Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • Women, Infants, and Children
  • History of American Agriculture

• Department of Energy

• Department of Health and Human Services

• Department of Labor
  • ETA (Employment and Training Administration)

• Department of Transportation
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • U.S. Department of Transportation: Office of the Historian

• Social Security Administration: Social Security Online
  • History Page

• United States General Accounting Office (GAO)

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Internet Guides

• Historical Research on Drug Policy (Shaffer Library of Drug Policy)

• OnTheIssues
  Major public policy site. Includes links to think tanks, associations, along with their research and publications, political parties, etc.

• Yahoo!: Government: Politics: Political Issues
  Links to policy issues such as abortion, drug policy, social security reform, welfare, etc.

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Journal and Magazine Articles

Topics in History and Policy can vary widely, and so may the resources you might need to find journal and magazine articles. The Libraries' Homepage offers links to Databases by Subject, where you can see a list of available databases by subject category. Below are the most relevant for finding journal and magazine articles on History and Policy topics.

• America: History and Life (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1964-present (updated monthly).
  Citations and some abstracts to journal articles, dissertations, and book and media reviews on United States and Canadian history from prehistory to the present. Covers all historical topics, including foreign policy, and a variety of disciplines including popular culture, gender studies, anthropology, literature and folklore, etc. Also has a non-US history counterpart Historical Abstracts. You can also search America: History and Life and Historical Abstracts simultaneously.
  
  

• Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1981-present (updated monthly).
  Citations and abstracts to journal articles, conference proceedings, reports, monographs, books, and government publications on environmental topics.

• Historical Abstracts (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1967-present (Updated monthly).
  Citations and some abstracts of journal articles, books, and dissertations on world history from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada). It covers all historical topics, including foreign policy, and a variety of disciplines including religion, gender studies, anthropology, political science, etc. Also has a U. S. and and Canadian history counterpart, America: History and Life. You can also search America: History and Life and Historical Abstracts simultaneously.

• LexisNexis Academic (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Varies, ca. 1990s-present (updates vary).
  Search for general news articles, editorials, government and political news articles, policy papers, legal articles and reviews,on all topics.

• Medline (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1965-present (updated monthly).
  Search for citations and abstracts to journals on medical topics.

• PAIS (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  1915-present (updated monthly).
  Search for citations to journal articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, book chapters, and statistical directories in the area of public policy.

• Proquest (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  ca. 1980s-present (updated daily).
  Search for newspaper and journal articles on all topics, many of which are full-text, including editorials.

  If full text links for journal articles are not provided, click on to see retrieval options. This is only for journal article citations, and may not be available in all databases. Otherwise, use Cameo and the Find e-journal list to see if materials are available to you. If they aren't, you can use Illiad, the interlibrary loan service, to obtain the books and journals (usually takes 7-10 days), or for books only, you can use EZ Borrow (usually takes about 3-5 days)

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Journals

Below are major journals in history and policy. Use the resources listed in Journal and Magazine Articles if you are looking for articles on a particular topic.

• Journal of Policy History (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Full text: Vol. 11, no. 3, 1999, Vol. 12, 2000-present.
  Print: Vol. 1, 1989-present.
  HUNT JOUR-3

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Laws and Legal Research

• Legal Research via LexisNexis Academic (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Search and display: articles from law reviews, legal newspapers, magazines, & newsletters; state and federal cases; state and federal codes; and patents. Also includes some international materials.

• Proquest Congressional (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  ca. 1789-present (coverage and updates vary).
  Full text of Congressional Hearings both published (1824-present) and unpublished (1824-ca. 1984), & the Serial Set, 1789-2003 (House and Senate documents and reports, Senate executive reports, and Senate treaty documents). You can also search the Congressional Record (1985-present), the Federal Register (1980-present), the United States Code, Statutes at Large (1789-present), etc. See the Content Coverage Chart for complete details.

• U.S. Federal Legislative History Library in HeinOnline (Carnegie Mellon users only)
  Collection of full-text legislative histories on some of the most important and historically significant legislation of our time. In addition to major complete legislative histories this collection includes texts related to legislative histories. A legislative history is the collection of documents that are produced in Congress during the enactment of a law.

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