Class Instruction

Uncle Sam  Government Publications Department Tennessee Regional Depository Seminar in Public Policy Analysis PADM7/8213 Empirical and normative analysis of public policy at the local, state, national, and international levels. Emphasized are the theories, literature, and methodologies current to this field. Federal Government | State Government | Statistics | Policy Sites Database Searching | Search Engines |Citations FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Deciding on a topic and determining what laws exist Journals Use CQ Quarterly or CQ Almanac depending on the year you think the law /policy was initiated or discussed. If laws exist, the CQ publications will provide you with provisions of the law in clear language. You will also find a law number that looks something like this: PL 106-2. Publications and databases listed below will be helpful. CQ Quarterly A respected weekly magazine which reports on government and politics. Congressional Almanac is the yearly edition of CQ Quarterly published in a subject format Print versions of both titles are located in the Government Publications Department. CQ Researcher Covers controversial issues with pros and cons National Journal Find in Congressional UniverseCongressional Universe, Inside Washington Section Coverage of federal government policy making In addition to laws, House and Senate reports provide authoritative background for Congressional intent. Congressional hearings are good sources for opinions for and against issues. Agency Policy Statements Congressional Budget Office The CBO provides Congress objective, timely, nonpartisan analyses needed for economic and budget decisions and with the information and estimates required for the Congressional budget process. Congressional Research Service The CRS is a "think tank" that provides reports to members of Congress on a variety of topics relevant to current political events. CRS Reports do not become public until a member of Congress releases the report. Office of Management & Budget The main duty of the OMB is to assist the President in the preparation of the budget and and supervise the administration of the various agencies and departments. Hearings Congressional Universe(U of M only) Legislative database containing bills, laws, hearings reports and much more Thomas From Congress a free legislative database containing bills, laws, some reports and hearings. Administrative Regulations Federal Register Code of Federal Regulations Regulations.gov A government site where one can find, review, and submit comments about proposed regulations. Tennessee Rules & Regulations STATE GOVERNMENT What is the state law? For Tennessee laws, use the Tennessee Code Annotated (REF KFT 354 A3) in the Reference Department or online Academic Universe, Legal Research. But beware. searching codes online by those unfamiliar is difficult. Unlike the Congress, state legislatures seldom provide hearings and reports on legislation which can help determine the issues and what the legislature intended. Tennessee has virtually no hearings available except at the Tennessee State Library and Archives and these are on tape. U of Mich Grace York at the University of Michigan Documents Center produces superb guides. This one is excellent for state and local government web sites. Tennessee Resources The U of M Government Publications Department provides links to the State. Council of State Governments Provides leadership-training, research and information services to all three branches of state government. National Association of State Budget Officers The NASBO functions as a resource for policy development, education, and training. National Conference of State Legislatures The NCSL provides comprehensive information, research on critical state issues, and nformative publications. Governing.com An online magazine for state and local governing issues. For state information, newspapers often provide the best resource. Use Academic Universe (U of M only) to search the Tennessee or other state newspapers. Full text is provided. STATISTICS American FactFinder Census 2000 data. FedStats Compilation of many agencies & departments statistics Statistical Abstract Print copies available in Government Publications Department. Current issue on Gov Pubs Reference. Statistical Reference Index (Gov Pubs Reference) is excellent for the hard-to-find statistics Top POLICY SITES Most policy organizations and interest groups have web sites. dmoz Open Directory Links to policy sites Political Advocacy Groups Speakout.com Full text papers and policy positions. Check archives section for former topics of the week. Think Tanks University of Michigan Think Tanks & Research Institutes - Project Vote Smart DATABASE SEARCHING Electronic DatabasesThe U of M Complete listing of available databases Academic Universe Full text, newspapers, magazines, state law. Best site for searching codes. U of M students only. netLibrary Full text books e-books SEARCH ENGINES FirstGov Official site for U.S. Government information. Google Uncle Sam Search for .gov sites only Politicalinformation.com ONLINE CITATION GUIDES Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications Government Publications Department, The University of Memphis This guide deals directly with government publications, both tangible and electronic. Online Citation Guides An extensive list of different citation styles. Top Send questions/comments/suggestions to Mary Freilich 7/20/06