Henry Buhl Library: American Government: History &amp; Politics: Getting Started

Background Reading Resources

Dictionary of American History
Call Number: Ref E 174 .D52 2003 v.1-10
A collection of primary source documents appears in Volume 9.
America in the World, 1776 to the Present
Call Number: Ref E 174 .D52 2003 Suppl. v. 1-2
Explains America's role on the world scene; the impact of U.S. policies not only nationally, on the domestic agenda, but globally; and the reactions of the world's nations to America's rise, 1776 to the present.

Salem History Online This link opens in a new window
Full-text access to the Great Lives & Great Events encyclopedias
American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Contains over 19,000 biographies of significant, influential, or notorious figures from American history written by prominent scholars. The American National Biography (ANB) is the successor to The Dictionary of American Biography (DAB).
Biography Reference Bank This link opens in a new window
Contains a searchable collection of over 35,000 images as well as biographical profiles, feature articles, interviews, essays, book reviews, speeches, or obituaries.

The 21st-Century Voter: Who Votes, How they Vote, and Why they Vote
Call Number: Ref JK 1967 .A17 2016 v. 1-2
This comprehensive reference covers all aspects of politics and voting from elections and campaigns, to major political figures and parties, to the role of media and major activist groups. * Traces the changing population of the United States and its impact on voting.
American Political Culture: an Encyclopedia
Call Number: Ref E 169.12 .A428 2015 v. 1-3
This all-encompassing encyclopedia provides a broad perspective on U.S. politics, culture, and society, but also goes beyond the facts to consider the myths, ideals, and values that help shape and define the nation.
Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789-2015 by John R. Vile
Call Number: Ref KF 4557 .V555 2015 v.1-2
This is the most comprehensive book on constitutional amendments and proposed amendments available.
Religion and Politics in America: An Encyclopedia of Church and State in American Life
Call Number: Ref BL 2525 .R46125 2016 v. 1-2
This encyclopedia provides a comprehensive overview of the interrelation of religion and politics from colonial days to the present.

Encyclopedia of U.S. Political History
Explores the events, policies, activities, institutions, groups, people, and movements that have created and shaped political life in the United States from the 1500s to the present day (from CQ Press).
Encyclopedia of American Law
Covers leading cases, major statutes, legal terms and concepts, notable persons involved with the law, and primary documents.
Encyclopedia of Political Science
Includes information on a wide-variety of political science topics, including American and international politics, political ethics, public policy, religion and politics, terrorism, and more.
Oxford Reference Online Database - Politics & Social Sciences
Search the political science collection for quick and authoritative information from numerous dictionaries and encyclopedias.

CQ Press Library
Access to current American and World political information through a variety of resources, including the Political Handbook of the World, Congress and the Nation, Politics in America, and CQ Weekly, as well as Supreme Court Yearbook, CQ Researcher, Historic Documents Series, and four quality political science encyclopedias.

Individual Titles:

Congress and the Nation This link opens in a new window
Authoritative series on the US Congress that documents trends, actions, and controversies over the years. Includes informative summaries of legislative activities.

Supreme Court Yearbook
has provided valuable in-depth coverage and analysis of every decision from the nation's highest court since the 1989-1990 term. Includes overviews of Supreme court terms from 1989 – 2009, case summaries, tables and figures on voting patterns and trends in constitutional law, biographies and more.

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Provides original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news covering areas such as health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, and more.

Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy
Call Number: Ref E 183.7 .E52 2002 v.1-3

Includes signed entries and substantial bibliographies on a number of subjects, including Wilson's diplomacy.

Country Watch This link opens in a new window
Provides up-to-date news and data on all recognized countries of the world, offering demographic, political, economic, business, and cultural information.
Global Road Warrior This link opens in a new window
Consists of 170+ country guides documenting culture, customs, history, business, and more.
Passport GMID This link opens in a new window
A global market research database offering research reports and company profiles providing insight into industries, economies and consumers worldwide.

Contemporary Middle East
Contains primary source documents from 1917 to the present day.