U.S. Government Institutions
- U.S. Congressional Research Service ReportsCRS reports provide research and analysis on a variety of policy issues of interest to the U.S. Congress.
- GPO (Government Printing Office) Monthly Catalog This link opens in a new windowSearch United States government documents published since 1976, including Congressional reports, hearings, debates, records, judiciary materials, statistics, and documents issued by executive departments (Defense, State, Labor, Office of the President, etc.). This index addresses many topics, including political science, foreign policy, law, census, environment, agriculture, and education. Some citations contain links to full text. Print documents are available in the State Library in Harrisburg and via interlibrary loan (ILLiad). Coverage: 1976 to present. Citations only.
- Law Enforcement Statistics (Bureau of Justice Statistics)The BJS Law Enforcement Unit maintains more than a dozen national data collections covering federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and special topics in law enforcement. Most data series are collected every 2 to 4 years and focus on aggregate or agency-level responses, meaning the information that is collected pertains to units, such as police departments, training academies, and crime labs. The data from law enforcement agencies provide national estimates for personnel, equipment, operations, agency policies, budgets, and job functions across agencies. The Law Enforcement Unit collects data on contacts between the public and police, special units within law enforcement agencies, and trends in police organization.
- U.S. Census Bureau: Statistical Abstract 2012: Law Enforcement, Courts, and PrisonsPresents data on crimes committed, victims of crimes, arrests, and data related to criminal violations and the criminal justice system.
International Government Resources
- Acts of the UK ParliamentWebsite managed by the UK National Archives publishing all UK legislation.
- Japanese Law Translation DatabaseWebsite launched by the Japan Ministry of Justice containing translations of Japanese laws and regulations.
Web Sources
- The Avalon Project at Yale Law SchoolDocuments from throughout history relevant to the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy, and Government.
- British and Irish Legal Information InstituteBritish and Irish case law & legislation, European Union case law, Law Commission reports, and other law-related British and Irish material.
- Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) Series: ICPSRConducted periodically since 1987, LEMAS collects data from over 3,000 general purpose state and local law enforcement agencies, including all those that employ 100 or more sworn officers and a nationally representative sample of smaller agencies. Data obtained include agency responsibilities, operating expenditures, job functions of sworn and civilian employees, officer salaries and special pay, demographic characteristics of officers, weapons and armor policies, education and training requirements, computers and information systems, use of video technology, vehicles, special units, and community policing activities.
- World Legal Information InstituteFree, independent, and nonprofit access to worldwide law.
- Legal Information Institute (LII) This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Explore public legal information provided by Cornell University School of Law. This website includes: the United States Constitution; the full text of United States code; congressional material; supreme court opinions; states' constitutions, statutes and related legislative material; and a legal encyclopedia. Coverage: 1992 to present, contains primary sources. Full text.
Think Tanks
A think tank is a research institute or organization employed to solve complex problems or predict or plan future developments, as in military, political, or social areas.
Intergovernmental Organizations
An IGO is an organization composed primarily of sovereign states, or of other intergovernmental organizations. IGOs are established by treaty or other agreement that acts as a charter creating the group.
Non-Governmental Organizations
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is any nonprofit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national, or international level. Task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest, NGOs perform a variety of service and humanitarian functions, bring citizen concerns to governments, advocate and monitor policies, and encourage political participation through provision of information.