Public Policy Resources

Overview: The Government Information Librarians frequently do Bibliographic Instruction (BI) sessions for the Communication Studies classes. Many of these speech classes/assignments focus on public policy issues. As a result, the students from these classes often make their way back to GI/MS looking for help. The resources listed below are the “Key Resources” we suggest for these types of papers, as well as a few others that might come in handy.

Items marked with an * are for Vanderbilt Users only – access them through the ‘Articles & Databases’ section of the library’s website.

Background Information

• CQ Researcher* --The best overview source for identifying what’s at issue and how the topic developed. Each report covers a single subject. Browse by topic or search for keywords. We usually point out the ability to view it as a PDF, since this makes it a little easier to navigate. If you have a student working on a public policy paper, this is the FIRST place to go.

• Opposing Viewpoints* -- Pro and con opinions about broad controversial issues. Online version also includes links to basic reference articles, selected magazine and newspaper articles, primary sources, statistics, and web sites of important organizations concerned with each issue.

Statistical Information

• Statistical Abstract of the United States (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/) or Call # C 3.134: -- Gov-Ref and Office.

The basic annual U.S. statistical handbook, including almost 1,600 tables, of social, economic, and political statistics. Use the source notes at the bottom of each table to lead you to other statistical publications on the topic.

• Other statistical abstracts – If the information that the student needs requires statistics at the state, county or city level beyond what is available in the Statistical Abstract of the United States, take a look at the following resources:

• City & County Databook (http://www.census.gov/prod/www/ccdb.html) or Call # C/2 (6) C 3.134/2:C 83/2 (Gov-Ref)
• County & City Extra – Call # HA 203.C68 – Gov-Ref.
• Places, Towns & Townships – Call # HA 203 .P58 – Gov-Ref.
• Links to statistical resources for each state http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/st_abstracts.html.

Internet Sites

• Public Policy Issues and Groups (http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/romans/pubpol.html) -- Larry created this database specifically to meet the needs of the Communication Studies students. Pages include links sites for ‘key players’ on all sides of a particular issue, as well as important government sites, statistical resources, and more.

Government Information

As is evident if you listen to the news with any regularity, the U.S. Congress holds hearings on a wide variety of topics. At these hearings, committee members invite experts to testify about the issue at hand. As a result, the published hearings can be packed with persuasive speeches and quotable quotes, as the experts and key players work to convince Congress that their side is right.

• LexisNexis Congressional Database* --

The main use of this database for public policy papers/speeches is to access Congressional hearings. Both the testimony (text of prepared statements submitted by witnesses) and the text of the Congressional Record (which contains the floor speeches of members of Congress) are available for recent years.

To locate the full-text of an entire hearing, copy the title from LexisNexis Congressional and paste it into Acorn. Older titles will likely be available only in print. For newer hearings (1994 forward) look for a Web Link option at the top of the Acorn record in order to access the online version.

If the title does not appear in Acorn, go to GPO Access http://www.gpoaccess.gov/chearings/index.html.

Public Opinion Resources

• Gallup Brain* -- Gallup Brain includes more than 100,000 questions--and millions of Americans' responses--from every Gallup public opinion poll conducted in the United States since 1935. The Gallup Brain is updated weekly and includes all current and historical Gallup analysis of the data.

• iPOLL*-- Offers full-text, question-level summary data from public opinion polls from major survey research organizations in the United States, including the Gallup Poll, Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, Harris, the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press.

• Polling the Nations* -- Poll questions and responses from more than 14,000 national, state, local and special public opinion polls and surveys conducted by 700 polling organizations in the United States and 80 other countries