Political Science 201: Mary Shumaker American Federal Government: Spring 2005

• CongressLink: Guide to the 109th Congress ~ provides good basic information on Congress, as well as contact information for congress members
• Project Vote-Smart ~ you can type in your ZIP code into the box on the left-hand side
• United States Senate ~ this official site provides information on committees as well as preliminary contact information
  • Illinois Senators
• United States House of Representatives ~ the House's web presence provides summaries of debates on the floor, committee information, and contact information
  • House of Representatives Member Web Site Listing

Your Topic

What is my topic?

• Congress.org ~ you'll see this site listed a lot within this page, as it is a comprehensive source of information; scroll down to the area labeled Issues and Action (or click the link on the left-hand side of the page), scroll to select a topic, and click the "GO" button

How do I find out what bills are pending on my topic?

• Congress.org ~ once you've selected your topic in the Issues and Action section, click on the link labeled "Bills" to display pending bills

Researching a Bill

How do I find out more information on a particular bill?

Background information on the bill and pertinent issues

Finding Journal Articles

• Academic Search Elite ~ contains articles from both popular and scholarly sources on a wide range of topics, many in full text.

• CQ Researcher ~ published by Congressional Quarterly, this resource weekly focuses on a particular topic, such as campaign finance reform or abortion; good for finding out background information or learning more about the topic at hand
• Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe ~ this database accesses a wealth of legal news and information.

Is this a scholarly journal or a popular magazine?

Finding Newspaper Articles

• Chicago Tribune
• Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe ~ also provides access to newspapers from all over the world
• Newspaper Source ~ another database providing access to newspapers both large and small
• New York Times

What if the article isn't available online?

• Use Illinet Online to determine if the library owns the journal in print or in microfilm
• Check Journals and Magazines Available Online to see if the article is available through another database
• If you cannot find an article at Elmhurst, you can request it through our online Interlibrary Loan article request form

How has my representative/senator has voted on similar bills?

• Congress.org ~ click on the name of a bill under the same topic; next to the run-down of the vote is a link for "Complete Tally" -- click on this link for a complete listing of who voted how
• Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet ~ on a search by bill number, and click on the link for "Bill Summary and Status," you will see hyperlinks to related bills
• C-SPAN: Congress Guide ~ Search to find out how officials have voted on key issues; search by session number, key word, or even by member

Did my representative write, sponsor, or cosponsor this bill?

• Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet ~ includes the Congressional Record, a complete record of legislative goings-on, as well as bill summary and status going back to the 93rd congress; do a search by bill number, and click on the link for "Bill Summary and Status"

Contacting The Politician

How do I write a letter to my Senator or Representative?

• Letter Writing for Advocacy ~ from the Reading Recovering Council of North America; also look at the information on faxing
• Letter Writing ~ from the League of Women Voters from New Jersey

How do I find contact information for my senator or representative?

• Project Vote-Smart: U.S. Congress Members of Illinois ~ click on a person's name to get biographies and contact information; the most effective way to contact your representative or senator is by using their Illinois address
• United States Senate: Illinois Senators
• United States House of Representatives: House of Representatives Member Web Site Listing

Citing Your Sources

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Revised 14 February, 2005 by Ayanna Gaines, Assistant Reference Librarian
A.C. Buehler Library, Elmhurst College