American Politics: Tracking U.S. Government, Political Parties, Elections and Political News
The Web is the most efficient source for current information about domestic and international politics. This Guide teaches you about the U.S. government and the election process; tells you how to get politically involved yourself; and highlights the best sources for political news at home and abroad. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.
Expand All Guide SectionsU.S. Government
The following sites provide an overview of the U.S. government and how it functions. You'll learn about the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and can track hearings and other federal activity using these resources.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Most government documents are available for public viewing, and some are available online. The Library of Congress Web site is a good place to start looking for documents.
- Many government organizations have their own Web sites. All government sites have a ".gov" at the end of their names.
- You can find the names and contact information of all of your state and local representatives online, but you can also pay a virtual visit to the places where decisions are made. Visit the U.S. Capitol online, or take a historical tour of the White House.
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For information about the U.S. government in general ...
Project Vote Smart provides a brief but comprehensive overview of the U.S. government. This site covers important issues including how a bill becomes a law, how your tax money is spent, the qualifications to become president, and how many senators and House members there are.
The Outline of U.S. Government from the U.S. Department of State gives a comprehensive view of the U.S. government through a discussion of its history and parts. You'll find eight detailed chapters that cover the history of the U.S. Constitution, the three branches of government, and landmark decisions of the Supreme Court, among other topics.
The National Archives Experience site provides an interactive explanation and background explanation of the three most important documents in U.S. history: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
FedWorld is a straightforward portal to government documents. The homepage is cleanly designed, and provides links directly to the search features of many other government sites and documents: USA.gov, Supreme Court decisions, IRS forms, scientific and technical government publications and information, top government sites, and government job listings. This site is run by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).
For information about the executive branch of government ...
Whitehouse.gov is the official Web site of the United States' Executive branch. On this site, you can listen to the President's weekly radio address, read transcripts of White House press briefings, find the names of all current Cabinet members, and more.
American President: An Online Reference Resource from the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia provides history and commentary on all presidential eras from George Washington to George W. Bush. Read about how the duties of the presidency have changed over the years in a series of essays entitled "The President at Work."
PBS broadcasts American Experience Online, the longest-running history program on television. You can search for specific public figures like past presidents, or research a particular historical event. Lots of background information is offered on this thorough and beautifully presented account of American culture and history. Each presidential page has a biographical overview, some quick facts about the era, the president's stance on domestic policy, and the presidential politics and foreign affairs of the time.
For information about the legislative branch of government ...
Tying It All Together from the U.S. House of Representatives thoroughly explains the process of how a bill becomes a law. Use this site as a directory to many other government Web sites.
GovTrack.us monitors what's going on in the U.S. Congress (what bills are being enacted, what days Congress is in session, etc.). Search for your senators or representatives by zip code, research the proposed laws that members of Congress are discussing, or get RSS feeds of upcoming bills or new laws. This site has links to blogs about legislation and a "Statistics Nutshell" that points out interesting facts about each representative. You'll learn, for example, who has been most absent from voting, or who is most effective in getting bills passed. Also worth a look is OpenCongress.org, a sister site to GovTrack.
The Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives has virtually everything you need to know about the House of Representatives. Find out what's on the upcoming schedule, read the latest House news, search for legislation, and find the names and contact information for your representative. There is even a section for kids that describes how laws are made, gives a trip through history, and has educational games.
The Library of Congress can help you find most types of government information. Looking for information on a particular bill, but don't know the name? This site lets you search by subject, bill number, the representative or senator that introduced it, or the name of the bill.
CapitolHearings.org lets you listen to Congress deliberate. You can search by both House and Senate Committees as well as listen in on specific bills that are being debated.
Washingtonwatch.com not only tracks the cost of each bill to the government, but also the exact cost to you, the tax payer. Bills are organized by Most Popular, Newest, Greatest Cost, and Greatest Savings for easy browsing.
For information about the judicial branch of government ...
Supremecourtus.gov is the official homepage of the Supreme Court. Here you'll find all cases before the Supreme Court, opinions previously given by the Supreme Court, and biographies for past and current Supreme Court justices. It can be difficult to find specific cases on this site.
FindLaw.com helps you find a particular case or opinion by the Supreme Court, even if you don't know its exact name. The site provides several different search options to make research easy.
U.S. Courts is the official Web site of the Federal Judiciary. This site links to all of the U.S. Federal Courts: the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts. Find a Judicial Library of information about the courts along with printable forms and other Web resources. An interesting feature is the ability to find where all the U.S. Courts are located on an interactive map of the United States.
Oyez.org allows you to listen to the Supreme Court justices as they deliberate cases. It provides a complete source of all audio recorded since the installation of a recording system in the Court in 1955. The site got its name from what the bailiff says while calling the court to order: "Oyez, oyez, oyez!"
American Political Parties
The Democrats and Republicans have had a longstanding rivalry in American politics. To learn more about each party and how you can get involved, visit the sites below. You'll also find information on many of the third parties that influence American politics.
Dulcinea's Insight
- This guide covers mostly the Democratic and Republican parties. A more thorough rundown on third parties can be found in findingDulcinea's Web Guide to Political Parties.
- To read news, opinions, and blogs from members of your chosen party, see the "Op-Ed News" section of this guide.
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To figure out where you stand politically ...
PoliticalCompass.org has a quiz to help you determine your exact political inclination. The quiz is comprehensive and long, so make sure you have time to complete it. When you finish, the site tells you where you fall within political parties, and leaders who have similar beliefs.
Advocates for Self-Government offers a more succinct quiz, called "World's Smallest Political Quiz." Want to figure out if you're closer to Jesse Jackson or Newt Gingrich in 10 quick questions? This is the quiz for you.
For information about the Democratic party ...
The Democratic Party page is where you'll find local party information and Democratic party blogs about current candidates.
The Democratic Governors Association is an organization of all state governors who belong to the Democratic party. The association seeks to help elect Democratic gubernatorial candidates and promote a Democratic agenda at the state level.
The Young Democrats of America offers information for people under 18 on how to get involved with the Democratic party.
The College Democrats of America provides information on college chapters nationwide. Find out how to start a chapter at your school and how you can support Democratic candidates. This site also indicates how and where you can volunteer for a Democratic campaign.
For information about the Republican party ...
GOP.org is the official Republican Party page. It has information on party-supported issues as well as how you can volunteer or intern with the party.
The Republican Governors Association is designed to help promote Republican gubernatorial candidates and advance the vision of Republicans at the state level.
The Young Republican National Federation is for those under 18 years of age who want information on how to become involved in the Republication party.
The College Republican National Committee helps college students get involved in the Republication party through chapters nationwide.
For information about third parties ...
Politics1.com covers many of the third parties in the United States, such as America First and Workers World. It's not the prettiest site you'll see, but it's full of helpful information. Scroll down past the Democrat and Republican sections for a wealth of information on alternative platforms.
American Elections
Use the resources provided to learn about the nuances of the election process, read up on the candidates themselves, and to find out how you can register to vote.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Although some sites are great resources for general information about elections and issues, when it comes to accuracy and objectivity, nothing beats the comprehensive voter's guide that you get in the mail (even if it is as big as your phonebook).
- FindingDulcinea has a number of other resources that cover politics and the election process, specifically. Visit the Election 2008 Web Guide or the Presidential Elections Web Guide for more information.
- The members of the Electoral College actually determine the winner in presidential elections, although their votes are dictated by the popular vote.
- When you register to vote you can name a political party with which to be affiliated. Only registered party members can vote in a party's primary election.
- Find out more about past and current elected officials in the "U.S. Government" section of this guide.
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To register or vote ...
C-SPAN uses an intuitive and interactive map of the United States to help you register to vote.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program provides absentee voting forms and information to uniformed services members and overseas citizens.
For election law, the Electoral College, or voting history ...
The National Archives and Records Administration explains the Electoral College. Find out how many votes each state gets as well as the responsibilities of the electors, and what it takes to become one.
Answers.com brings together numerous reference resources that comprehensively explain the Electoral College. You'll learn about its origins, its legal evolution, and much more.
270toWin.com is an interactive Electoral College map that doubles as an interactive history of presidential elections dating all the way back to 1798.
American Memory from the Library of Congress outlines the history of voting in the United States, dating as far back as the Declaration of Independence.
Election Law is a blog that covers the law of politics and the politics of law: election law, campaign finance, legislation, voting rights, initiatives, redistricting, and the Supreme Court nomination process.
To research a candidate or issue ...
News Batch is the site for anybody looking for a better understanding of the major issues in contemporary politics. News Batch has a database of background information categorized by issue, up-to-date voting records from both the House and the Senate, and links to other useful sites.
Project Vote Smart has a number of useful resources for the inquisitive voter, including biographical information of candidates, campaign finance information, public statements, and much more.
The Hill offers incumbents' and challengers' Web sites and the opinions of each side in blogs and columns. This site also covers most political press releases and political news.
The Rothenberg Political Report is a nonpartisan blog covering U.S. House, Senate, and gubernatorial campaigns, presidential politics, and political developments. It neither endorses candidates nor advocates positions on matters of public policy.
FactCheck.org monitors the accuracy of claims made by politicians and issue advocates in the United States.
Who knew?
The Living Room Candidate from the American Museum of the Moving Image has an archive of presidential campaign commercials from 1952 to the present.
U.S. Political News
This guide shows you where to look for reliable and immediate coverage of national politics and events. You'll find information from major media sources as well as worthwhile blogs that express the opinions of plugged-in pundits and political junkies.
Dulcinea's Insight
- For great explanations of the news, see findingDulcinea's News Section. You'll get summaries of the latest headlines along with links to the background information that can help you better understand the whole story.
- If you want to watch an online video from a news site and your computer indicates that you need to download a new application first, here are a few resources.
- How to download Real Player
- How to download Windows Media Player
- If you'd rather read opinion, see the "Op-Ed News" section of this guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For news and commentary ...
The Politico covers lobbyists in Washington, DC, Congressional information, and election campaigns. This site is updated daily and also offers political videos.
Political Wire's Breaking News Aggregator automatically collects the latest political news from more than a dozen major news sources every hour of the day. There's no faster way to find out what's going on in politics.
CNN Political Ticker is a politics blog covering political news daily.
Roll Call has all the latest political news and offers the Senate schedule, House schedule, committee transcripts, and lobbying reports.
For information about U.S. foreign policy ...
The U.S. Department of State publishes a long explanation of its mission statement: to "create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community."
The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has oversight of the foreign policy agencies of the U.S. government. The site includes information on Committee hearings and legislation.
Foreign Relations of the United States is a series of publications produced by the Department of State's Office of the Historian. Each publication includes a variety of government documents and transcripts that show how foreign policies were developed and implemented during the major events in U.S. history.
World Political News
In this rapidly globalizing world, the impact of international politics has never been more significant than it is today. Learning about what happens in countries outside the United States allows us to be more informed voters and citizens of our own country.
Dulcinea's Insight
- For information about the United States and foreign policy, see the "U.S. Political News" section of this guide.
- One way to keep up with breaking news from around the world is by using RSS feeds. (RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.) An RSS feed brings you headlines and, typically, a one- or two-line summary of each story. You can use an "aggregator" such as Netvibes.com to collect RSS feeds from your chosen sources and compile a page of headlines from around the world tailored to your personal interests.
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For statistics or historical information about countries or events ...
Background Notes provides current and background information about countries. You'll learn about political parties, election system, current issues, relationship with the United States, and more. To read about an independent state, dependency, or sovereign nation, click on its name in the alphabetized list on the Background Notes homepage.
The CIA World Factbook is a good place to find maps, stats, and facts. It includes a brief history as well as an analysis of the legal system and constitution of each country.
NationMaster is a user-friendly source for statistics. This site allows you to search by subject or country to find and compare statistics. Lots of charts and graphs bring the numbers alive. You'll also find updates on newsworthy statistics.
Governments on the WWW is a database of governmental institutions that is as dry as dust, but rich with facts. If you must know more about the constitution of Azerbaijan, this is the place to look.
For a simple explanation of the different forms of government ...
BBC has very short and simple descriptions of different types of government systems. This area of the BBC site is geared toward a younger audience, so the explanations are very straightforward. For reputable international news, visit the BBC's homepage.
The CIA World Fact Book lists each country and the type of government that is has. The World Fact Book also has definitions of each government type.
For international news sources ...
Reuters is a renowned UK wire service, which has long specialized in financial news. It also provides broad coverage of international news.
Al Jazeera claims to be the only Arab news service working independently of government influence. It now rivals the BBC in terms of audience size.
Asia Times Online is an online Asian news publication reporting on world news.
AllAfrica.com is a regularly updated compendium of African news from services across and beyond the continent.
Who knew?
Maps of War has interactive maps of how different areas have been affected by religion, politics and war. Watch the spread of beliefs and conquests on the colorful maps provided.
The ElectionGuide provides lists of upcoming elections all over the world.
Op-Ed News
Knowing the full range of facts and opinions makes you a well-informed and well-rounded citizen. Use the following resources to track trends in liberal and conservative media, and to get a deeper look into the headlines through op-eds that analyze the issues.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Looking for news without opinionated commentary? See the "U.S. Political News" section of this guide.
- Not sure what your political stance is? Find out in the "American Political Parties" section of this guide. You'll find links to a few quizzes that will help you determine where you fall in the political spectrum.
Dulcinea's Picks
For liberal opinion and commentary ...
WashingtonMonthly.com is a well-respected liberal progressive magazine that covers "what's really happening in Washington and what can be done about it."
The Huffington Post is a well-respected and well-known blogging Web site with a liberal slant. It offers both commentary and analysis on political news.
The Daily Kos is an extremely liberal blog. Here you'll find constant criticism of almost any Conservative or Republican politician or position. Check out the "dKosopedia" (a political wiki-encyclopedia written from a left point of view) or the "Diaries" (feeds from a number of left blogs).
Talking Points Memo is a liberal synopsis of what is being written on blogs, columns, and in the news along with interesting political tidbits.
For conservative opinion and commentary ...
The Weekly Standard is a well-respected conservative Web site that covers political news with a lot of features.
The National Review is a conservative online magazine. Find articles about the war in Iraq, political and finance news, book reviews, links to conservative blogs, and more.
The National Center for Public Policy Research is another conservative think tank. Find aggregated conservative news, blogs, and press releases on the home page. You'll find links to resources like historical documents and court cases as well.
The Daily Dish is a conservative political blog in The Atlantic Online written by Andrew Sullivan, a senior editor at The New Republic. He is also an author and has contributed to The New York Times and Time magazine.
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