Reference sources on Congressional History, Committees, Members:
- Almanac of American PoliticsAlso available in print: Olin Reference, Ready Reference Shelves: JK 1010 B26
Published after the national elections every two years, includes biographical and political summaries, campaign expenditures, voting records and interest-group ratings for every state governor and member of Congress.
The 2016 ed. also provides in-depth overviews of each state and house district, along with demographic data, analysis of voting trends, and political histories, with new categories on economic, occupational, social, geographic, and campaign finance data. - The NationalJournalAlmanacA database of searchable profiles compiled and adapted from the Almanac of American Politics.
Also includes information about congressional staffers and Federal Department and Agency directors and staff.
The Custom Search allows users to search by party, gender, ethnicity, religion, state, and Congressional Committee
For Congressional staffers, there are additional filters for job title, and areas of interest. - Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005:Biographies of individuals who served in the 1st through the 108th Congresses as well as the Continental Congresses between 1774 and 1789, and all vice presidents,
Supplemented by a historical list of cabinet members and membership rosters of each Congress,"
Also available in print: Olin Library Reference, JK1010 .A5 2005 + - CQ Congress Collection, 1981 - .For historical analysis of Congress, covering members, their legislative voting behavior, interest groups, and their interactions in crafting public policy. Integrates encyclopedic entries, legislative policy histories, chronologies, statistics, biographies, ratings, maps, demographic and electoral data, as well as roll call votes (with key votes since the 91st Congress).
- Leadership LibrarySearch and browse directories for government officials (federal, state, and municipal), law and lobbying firms, professional and non-profit organizations, news media, corporations, foreign representatives, financial institutions, accounting firms, and more.
Allows searching and browsing within individual directories or across all 14 directories using single or multiple criteria, such as name, job title, industry, and geographical location.
Downloading is not provided with this subscription. - LegistormLaunched in 2006, this site provides basic information about congressional staff salaries and other information for free, on limited basis, as a service to the general public.
- Congressional Committees, Historical Standing CommitteesDataset
Collectors: Charles Stewart III and Jonathan Woon (MIT)
Records membership on all congressional committees from the 80th to 102nd Congresses. Data file that corresponds with the hard copy version of Nelson's two-volume set Committees in the U.S. Congress, 1947-1992, CQ Press.
Congress and the Nation by
Call Number: Also available in print: Olin Library Reference, JK271 .C74 +A volume covering national government and politics from 1945 - 1965,
Each successive edition covers governmental action during a four-year presidential term.
Volumes are organized by major policy issues -- e.g., Economic Policy, Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, etc.-- within each term.
Appendix includes a variety of supplementary materials, such as a glossary of Congressional terms and a chart on key House and Senate votes.Guide to Congress by
Call Number: Also available in print: Olin Library Reference, JK1021 .C74 2000"The core of the book is contained in the first three sections: history; powers; and procedures of the institution. These are followed by more detailed examination of related subjects such as pressures on Congress; pay, housing, qualifications, and ethics of members; and how Congress is elected." [preface]
The Appendix offers a Glossary of Congressional Terms and additional facts and figures on a variety of topics, e.g., The Longest Sessions of Congress; Lame Duck Sessions since 1945; Attempted and Successful Cloture Votes, 1919-1998; the Capitol Floor Plan, and many more.
Presidential Vetoes: 1789-1988 and Supplement 1989- 2000Call Number: Also available in print: Olin Library Reference, J80 .A8"The purpose of this publication is to provide a comprehensive listing of the Presidential vetoes of legislation enacted by the Congress....It is also intended as an aid in the study of the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of the United States Government and of its system of checks and balances." [preface]
In print sources
- Almanac of the UnelectedCall Number: JK 1083 .A44; Latest vol in Olin Reference stacks. Holdings back to 1994"...in-depth profiles of senior Congressional committee staff members, including dozens of new members who have come from law firms, government agencies, and the private sector. The profiles contain professional history and experience, areas of expertise, educational background, specific legislative contributions, current contact information, and a photograph if available." [publisher web site]
American Congressional Dictionary by Call Number: Law Library Reference, JK9 .K91 2001; earlier editions in Olin StacksFrom Absence of a Quorum to Zone Whip, this handy desk reference volume aides librarians, students, and adults with more than 900 entries... now serves as the official definition guide for CRS experts.
Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789-2002 by Call Number: Olin Library Reference, KF4557 .V555x 2003 +Essays on amendments, proposed amendments, and related themes, e.g., Major Constitutional Reforms Introduced Outside Congress, Influential Individuals, Influential Organizations, Supreme Court Decisions, and Unresolved Issues.
Most articles include a list of suggested further readings.
Appendices include dates amendments were proposed and ratified, number of amendments by decade, most popular amending proposals by year & key events, and more.
The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress by Call Number: Olin Library Reference, JK1067 .E56 1995Covers Congress as an institution, major legislation and legislators, constitutional powers, and rules and regulations.
Includes a series of eight essays on the historical development of Congress, articles exploring the links between Congress and the other branches of government, the role of interest groups and the press. Another series of articles describe the processes of congressional elections, apportionment and districting, candidate emergence, campaigning, and voting patterns.- The Historical Atlas of State Power in Congress, 1790-1990 by Call Number: Olin Library Reference, JK 1342.M38 H6 +Maps apportionment changes from 1790 - 1990 for each state.
Part 1 provides a historical overview of Congressional apportionment, including tables detailing the number of representatives apportioned, percentage of gains and losses, and gains and losses of proportional power following each decennial census.
Part 2 provides a more detailed analysis of census apportionment, organized by census year.
Part 3 offers additional geographical analysis, e.g. Original and New States: 1790-1850 Apportionments, Free and Slave States: 1790-1860, Rural and Urban Places: 1870-1930, and Sunbelt and Snowbelt: 1970 - 1990. 
Committees in the U. S. Congress, 1789-1946 and 1947-1992 by Call Number: Olin Library Reference, JK1029 .C64x 2002 +Documents appointments to the U.S. congressional committee system.
Each section begins with a Committee History that identifies how, (resolution number) and when the committee was established.
Encyclopedia of the American Legislative System by Call Number: Olin Library Reference, JF501 .E53x 1994; 3 vols.Contributors include historians and political scientists.
The American legislative system in historical context; legislative recruitment, personnel, and elections; legislative structures and process; legislative behavior; legislatures and public policy; and legislatures within the political system.- Directory of Congressional Voting Scores and Interest Group Ratings by Call Number: Olin Library Reference, JK1051 .S555 2006 +Voting scores and interest group ratings covering every member of Congress since the beginning of the 80th Congress in 1947.*
*Some of the rating categories are not available in this compilation until about the mid-1950s.
Members are scored in support of or opposition to the "Conservative Coalition" position, in support of or opposition to their party, and in support of or opposition to the president.
A fourth category, Voting Participation, represents the percentage of recorded votes on which a member voted 'yea' or 'nay'.
