Government: Government Resources

The U.S. government collects and distributes massive amounts of data to operate its programs. However, academics, the business community, the news media, politicians, and social activists (among many others) also use the information to promote their own interests. 

So What's the Problem? The government gathers so much data it is often difficult to locate what it is you really want. This guide is an introduction to just some of the many places to look.

Budget of the United States Government. 

Performance Dashboard. See how the government spends your money.

Transparency Data. Lobbying disclosures, federal grants and contracts, earmarks, and federal and state campaign contributions.

Illinois General Assembly site -- find bills, resolutions, acts, the state constitution, members, committees, and other legislative materials. 

The Starting Points

    In many cases, the easiest way to find US Census data is to utilize our SimplyAnalytics tool, a web-based mapping, analytics and data visualization program providing 65,000+ data variables. Additional details about SimplyAnalytics can be found on our SimplyAnalytics information and help video page.

Below are listed some key official US government tools:

• USA.gov: If in doubt, start here!
• govinfo search government reports.
• Federal Agency Index. 
• Federal Register. The daily record of government activity.
• Data and Statistics:  Statistics from a variety of federal agencies.
• Regulations.gov.  Portal for proposed and final regulations. 
• THOMAS. Trace a bill through Congress.
• Congressional Research Service Reports 
  Created by experts in CRS, the reports present a legislative perspective on topics such as agriculture policy, counterterrorism operations, banking regulation, veteran's issues and much more.

   

• Data.Census.gov -- new interface to US Census data sets
• US Census Bureau
• US Census Guide: How to find information in the US Census material.

Business and Economics

• Bureau of Labor Statistics. Includes the Monthly Labor Review, Regional Economic Patterns in the United States, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Occupational Outlook Handbook, and Career Guide to Industries.
• Business and Industry (U.S. Census Bureau). Statistical analyses of business sectors. government spending, and foreign trade.
• Economic Indicators. Timely access to key economic indicators from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the US Census Bureau provide critical data to those in the business, finance and policy decision making areas.
• Federal Reserve Economic Data. Fed Reserve data on interest rates, GDP, exchange rates, and many more. ALFRED provides Federal Reserve historical economic data back to 1927.
• Small Business Administration.

Crime

• Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool. Number of incidents reported at colleges and universities across the nation.
• FBI's Resources for Researchers.
• Federal Prisons, Inmates, and Sex Offender Lists.
• Office of National Drug Control Policy.
• Top Ten Most Wanted.
• Uniform Crime Reports.

Elections

• ElectionGuide. Provides election results and overviews of the electoral systems for the world. 
• Washington Post US Congress Votes Database.Documents every vote and member of the House and Senate since 1991. Data is pulled from several sources, including the House clerk, the U.S. Senate and the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress. For the 112th Congress, users can analyze members and votes by various metrics, including caucus affiliations, 2010 margin of victory, and members endorsed by Tea Party Express or Freedom Works during the 2010 campaign. 
• Census Data. Census information is made available in a variety of download options. The American FactFinder and other options provide access to various census statistics. County business patterns, international trade data, building permits statistics, census tract street locator, annual survey of manufacturing, occupational statistics, and ZIP code business patterns. For an overview of this site, see one example of a helpful guide to the census data.

Health

• National Center for Health Statistics. 
• Historic Census Browser. Dating back to the first US Census (1790) all the way to 1960, allows you to view organized data on a wealth of census topics
• Minnesota Population Center Data (IPUMS). Harmonized data of US and international censuses from the 1960s to the present.
• Social Explorer (Free Edition). Use the Maps and Reports tabs to access the free mapping tools.

Law

• Nexis Uni (new interface to Lexis-Nexis). Includes articles from about 2,000 U.S. and international papers and newswires with an emphasis on legal and business news. Also includes journal articles, broadcast transcripts, and United States federal and state case law.
• Google Scholar covers case law, and allows researchers to refine by various facets (Articles, Case Law, Federal or state). 
• PLOL has created the Public Library of Law -- to make it easy to find the law online. (Free version of the Fastcase database.)
• RECAP Court Listener is the free version of the material in the PACER database (a national index for U.S. district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts).
• Justia provides free access to vast amounts of federal and state case law, statutes and regulations.
• Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute allows users from outside the legal profession to more easily access and understand the laws that govern them.

Science and Technology

• National Agricultural Library Digital Collections. 
• National Atlas program is no longer in service, but the USGS suggests related content. 
• National Climate Data Center. 
• National Technical Information Service. 
• OSTI.GOV   the primary search tool for DOE’s research and development (R&D) results.
• Science.gov. Science information provided by U.S. government agencies, including research and development results.
• Transportation Research Information Services.