Reference sources on the legislative process
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Congressional DeskbookCall Number: Olin Library, JK1021 .C5593 +; Latest volume in ReferenceThis 15 chapter publication explains the legislative and congressional budget processes along with all aspects of Congress." [publisher website] -
Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process, 8th Edition by
Call Number: Olin Library Reference, KF4937 .O44 2011The Congressional budget process, Preliminary legislative action, Scheduling legislation in the House, House floor procedure, Scheduling legislation in the Senate, Senate floor procedure, Resolving House-Senate differences, Legislative oversight.
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CQ AlmanacAnnual summary of legislation, pointing to relevant bills, reports, and amendments. Includes key votes, roll call votes and vote studies. Highly recommended as a starting point for legislative research! Also available in print: Olin Library Reference, JK1 .C66 +
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CQ Weekly (Online)Articles summarize the work of the U.S. Congress, including the status of bills, votes and amendments, floor and committee activity, backroom maneuvering, etc. Picks up where CQ Almanac leaves off
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GovTrackGovTrack.us, is a tool created by Civic Impulse, LLC. The site helps ordinary citizens find and track bills in the U.S. Congress and understand their representatives’ legislative record, includes a fair amount of historical data, back to 1789, on legislation, legislators, and vote counts.
See the notes on Information Coverage and Timeliness on the site's About page. -
OpenSecrets (Center for Responsive Politics)Campaign contributions at the federal and state levels, by candidate and donor. Also includes information about PACs, lobbyists, and Congressional committees.
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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).